


Without You

by rocketscientist07



Category: Bloodbound (Visual Novel)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, F/F, F/M, For You Sequel, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2019-10-09 01:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 52,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17397281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocketscientist07/pseuds/rocketscientist07
Summary: Gaius is back. While coming up with a plan to take him down, the gang must deal with some new life-changing events.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- This fic is a sequel for my previous fics, For You and In The Daylight. I recommend reading them both before starting this one.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.

_**Kamilah** _

Kamilah sighed as she looked down to her watch, noticing the meeting was taking longer than expected. She was ten minutes late and every minute counted when time was so limited.

After signing the contracts, she went straight to her office and locked the door. Interruptions were not allowed. She sat on the couch and opened the video-chat software on her laptop, as Lily taught her. However, who she was expecting wasn’t online yet.

She rolled her eyes and started reminiscing about the last few months.

_“You gotta let me know,” Amy said, taking notes. “Do you want a small or a big wedding?”_

_“It’s up to you to make this kind of decision.”_

_“Kamilah, I know you. You’d hate a big wedding.”_

_“Well… You have kind of a numerous family. And a lot of friends too.”_

_Amy chuckled and shook her head._

_“You want it small, right?”_

_“Maybe?” She gave Amy a suggestive look._

_“And I want…” Amy pressed her lips on hers, “what my fianceé wants.”_

After returning from Japan, Amy immediately started with the wedding plans. They’d get married at their one year anniversary, in five months. Kamilah left it up to her to make most of the decisions. Her company, Ahmanet Financial, was showing a significantly growth lately. With a bunch of new clients and projects in hands, she didn’t have much time to help.

It was Thanksgiving when she agreed to go with Amy to her hometown. Surprisingly, Amy’s parents were acting kind and supportive of their relationship. Were they really starting to accept it? Kamilah feared it was too good to be true.

The confirmation came right after dinner, when Amy’s mother handed her an envelope. An acceptance letter from an University in London, for a Marketing course she had applied before moving New York.

At first, Amy was confused.

_“I don’t get it, first they rejected me and now, one year later, they changed their minds?”_

_“That would be a good impulse on Amy’s carreer,” her mother added. “Don’t you think, Kamilah?”_

At that time she decided to agree. It was a trick, she knew. Amy’s mother was trying to put them against each other and she wouldn’t fall into that trap. She knew Amy wouldn’t go after all. She was satisfied with her job at Ahmanet Financial and the wedding was her main priority now. But apparently she didn’t know her fianceé so well as she imagined.

_“It’s only three months,” Amy said. “Time flies. Sooner than you think, I’ll be back.”_

In the first month, Kamilah visited her twice. Then, it became unbearable because of her roomates, who wouldn’t give them enough privacy. They used to chat through video-call everyday. But in the last couple weeks Amy was too busy with her final exams, rarely having any time for her fianceé.

When Kamilah checked her watch again, it was almost 6 PM. What meant Amy wouldn’t be calling again. For the third time in a week.

Her phone started buzzing on the desk. A text from Lysimachus.

_Council meeting tonight. 10 PM._

_I can’t. Twin favor? Last time, I promise._

_It’s something of your concern this time. You need to come._

Lysimachus had been attending every Council meeting in her place since Amy’s departure. They weren’t important, not for Kamilah at least. Adrian wanted to meet them often to keep an eye on The Baron, Priya and Lester. After Jameson’s betrayal, any of three could easily become Gaius’ next puppet.

She rolled her eyes and closed her laptop in a violent manner, ready to go home.

“I’m gonna need some alcohol before this.”

———————————-

_**Lysimachus** _

After denying being a vampire for so long, Lysimachus was finally embracing his condition. When his twin sister forced him to work at Raines Corporation, he wasn’t happy. Until he learned he and Adrian could make a good team. They had similar views when it came to projects to make the world a better place. Secretly, they were also developing new weapons to use against Gaius.

At night, he would enjoy life like he was used to. Riding around New York City on his motorcycle or… in Priya’s company. They knew how to have a lot of fun together.

He was about to go home when Adrian called him to his office. He had scheduled a Council meeting and requested his presence, along with Lily. They weren’t Clan Leaders but recently, they were playing important roles in The Council’s businesses.

“And there’s one more thing,” Adrian told, before he left. “Starting tomorrow, the room at the end of the corridor is yours.”

“But that is…”

“Vice President of the Operations office? Yes. After Nicole, it took me a long time to pick someone. And now I know I can trust you…”

“Come on, man… You can’t do this. Not only because I’m  _Kamilah’s brother_.”

“It’s not only because you’re  _Kamilah’s brother_. You earned it.”

Outside Adrian’s office, the corners of his mouth curled up in a smile and he celebrated.

Kamilah got him an apartment in the same building as hers. Althought it was spaceful, luxurious and comfortable, it could be quite annoying, considering how controlling his sister was still acting. When he opened the door, she was already sitting on his couch with a drink in hands.

“Kamilah? What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t stand being alone in that penthouse for another minute. I was deadly bored.”

“Did you finish watching all the shows Amy recommended you?”

“Long time ago.”

After pouring himself a drink, he joined her at the couch, where she suddently frowned at him.

“Come on, you need to attend the meeting for me. It’s the last time, I promise.”

“Adrian said he wants you to be there.”

They both finished their drinks in silence. Lysimachus noticed how tense his sister looked. Amy probably had no time to call her again and even though she was fighting hard to hide it, he knew it was breaking her heart. They were supposed to be getting married in the next few weeks, but would they be able to repair their relationship in time, after being so distant from each other?

Later, they walked together to Raines Corporation. Kamilah checking her phone occasionally to see if Amy had texted her. When they arrived, the meeting hadn’t started yet.

“Hey, here’s the sister of the new VP of Operations,” Adrian greeted as he saw Kamilah.

“What?” She gave Lysimachus a suprised look, before wrapping her arms around his waist and hug him tighly. “Brother! You didn’t tell me…”

“Yeah… I was going to invite you for a celebration after the meeting,” he lied. It sounded unfair to deliver such good news when his sister was going through a bad phase.

“Somebody said  _celebration_?”  The elevator doors dinged open, Priya passed through them with a smirk on her face. Her fingers gently touched his cheeks. “What are we celebrating?”

After glancing at Kamilah, who was about to unleash all her rage at Priya, Lysimachus cleared his throat.

“I’ve been promoted as the new VP of Operations.”

“Well, if you want…” she leaned closer, whispering in his ear, “we can celebrate later. In my house.”

She walked away, headed to the conference room.

“She’s going to get you killed someday,” Kamilah angered. “And this time, I’ll not spend centuries mourning your death. You know why? Because it’ll be entirely your fault!”

He let out a sigh and left to join the others at the conference room. He knew it was useless to argue with his sister. While she was right about Priya being somehow dangerous, he knew exactly how to play her game. The Fashion Designer was the last of his concerns in that moment.

———————————-

**_Kamilah_ **

Kamilah couldn’t force herself to pay attention on the meeting. Between his brother’s involvement with Priya and Amy not calling for the third night in a row, her mind was far away.

“We’ve lost track of him.”

At first her mind didn’t connect the dots, but after a wave of panic struck all the other Clan Leaders, Adrian’s words finally started to make sense. She felt a shiver going down her spine.

“You incompetent pig!” The Baron slammed his fist on the table. “I told you we should’ve ambushed him when we had the opportunity, but you were too distracted developing your own secret little plan.”

“The Baron is right,” Lester shouted, “how do we know you’re not serving him? You’re starting to sound suspicious Adrian… What is it, huh? The loyal puppy is returning to his King?”

“Do you mean…” Priya’s eyes were wide in fear, “h-he could be  _anywhere_? Like… my place or my studio?”

Lysimachus asked them to be silent, what they protested. Not all members of The Council were willing to accept him as a member and trust his loyality. It didn’t seem to affect him though. Kamilah knew he was working with Adrian, monitoring Gaius inside the library and developing a plan to take him down for once. After all, he spent centuries studying his weaknesses.

She stayed in silence, sharing a long gaze with her twin brother. Suddently, Amy not calling didn’t seem so important anymore, for the first time in almost a century she was scared. Truly scared. She knew what Gaius was capable of. She witnessed him doing the most horrible things to mortals and other vampires.

“ _You too… My Queen?_ ”

The look he gave her when she stabbed him in the chest came back to her mind. Gaius never expected her betrayal. For this reason, he should be planning a painful and elaborated revenge. She needed to be ready. She couldn’t waste any more time with minor distractions.

“We should’ve done something sooner,” she told Lysimachus after the meeting ended.

“ _We?_ Pardon me, sister, but you refused to listen a single word about this in the past few months. Only now you’re showing concern?”

He had a point. She didn’t even know what was their plan in first place. How could she be so negligent at this point? They could’ve ambushed Gaius in the library when he was still in a desiccated stage. That was an advantage they had. Now, his powers should be fully recovered.

“Adrian thought it wasn’t a good idea,” Lysimachus explained when she questioned. “Put him back in the sarcophagus and it’d be a matter of time until someone set him free again. We were trying to figure out a way to destroy him.”

“And?”

“ _And_  now we have nothing, and Gaius is out there. Just getting ready to strike. Simple as that.”

She watched as her brother left through the door, being so worried as she was.

———————————-

**_Amy_ **

Maybe it was the stress, or the hangover, but when Amy woke up in the morning something felt…  _weird_.  She was having one of those crazy dreams again, but she couldn’t quite remember this time. Something about a powerful witch, researching for an immortality elixir in a very old village.

“ _I should ask Kamilah about it,_ ” was the first though that came to her mind… followed by the realization that she slept way more than she should. “Oh no! Kamilah.”

Desperately, she grabbed her phone at the bedside table. It had passed 8 a.m.

“It means it’s 3 a.m. in New York, if I’m lucky she’s still up…” she went to her computer, Kamilah was offline. Then Amy tried to call her cellphone and it went straight to the voicemail. She had turned it off. On purpose, of course. Kamilah’s cellphone was never turned off.

She had a class at 9 and she still needed to take a shower and hide the mess she was looking like. Again, she allowed her new friends to drag her for one of their wild parties and she hated herself for that. Before the shower, she left a message on Kamilah’s voicemail, apologizing for not calling her in the previous night.

“I fell asleep… after hours of intense studying,” she was too embarrassed at herself to tell the truth. “Please, call me as soon as you can.”

Once she finished, she tried the best to not be late, but her roomates wouldn’t stop arguing over who took the other’s yogurt and expected her to side with one of them. It was like living the whole college experience for a second time, except that she was getting tired of it.

“ _It’s only a few days, Amy. Then you’ll finally go home._ ”

It was hard to stay focused on class. Her eyelids were getting heavy, her vision was getting blurred… Amy decided to take another nap. The possibility of knowing further about Kamilah’s past and eras she lived through was the only reason why she was taking that extra class about Ancient History. It wasn’t important. She had all the grades she needed to conclude the course.

Before she knew, she was in one of those dreams again, but at this time she could barely see anything around her. Everything was dark, in an old, crumbling temple. But she could hear voices. They sounded like some kind of cult. Some of the words echoed inside her mind repeatedly.

“ _The time has come… our fate will be sealed… we must awake our… Intruder!”_  

After saying ‘ _Intruder_ ’ they all turned around and stared at her, with their hypnotized eyes. They started coming in her direction, attempting to reach her but they couldn’t. An invisible wall was stopping them. She heard a voice calling her name, she still tried to run, but her feet wouldn’t move…

“ _Help,_ ” she tried to scream, wondering if anybody could listen. That was when the voice called her name again. 

“Ms. Parker,” she heard distantly.

She opened her eyes in a hurry. Looking around, the class was empty. She was the only one sitting there. She and the teacher, who looked at her with a frowned expression and crossed arms.

“M-Mrs. Wright, I’m deeply sorry… I…”

“Partying too hard?” The blonde, tall woman approached. Standing right in front of her. “I’ve had your age, Ms. Parker. But I didn’t expect this behavior from  _you_. You’re, so far, the most dedicated and brilliant student I’ve had in the last few years.”

“A-Am I?” Amy couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

The teacher answered with a nod.

“Actually, I’ve read your essay. Needless to say, once more you surprised me. Your research about the Ancient Egypt was exceptional. Some of the written information cannot be found in books, being known only among experts.”

“I… My girlfriend is Egyptian so, she knows a lot,” for some reason the word  _fianceé_  escaped from her mind, until she looked at the ring on her finger. “Fianceé,” she corrected, but the teacher wasn’t there to listen anymore.

She went to her desk to pick up Amy’s essay. When she came back, she showed her the grade. A+. Amy grinned.

“But this isn’t enough, Ms. Parker. I know my class has nothing to do with the Marketing course you’re taking, but I’d like to make an offer. Extend your course and stay here for another three months. There’s an important fair about Ancient History happening soon, maybe one of the biggest in Europe, and you will help me to organize it. Don’t worry, it’ll give you some extra credits.”

“Another 3 months?” Amy asked. “I can’t. Actually I need to come back to New York as soon as possible, I’m getting married in only a few weeks.”

“Married?” The teacher let out a laugh. “At your age, Ms. Parker? It sounds… precipitated.”

“Now you’re starting to sound like my mom.”

“Amy, I’ve been your age. And if you want to hear an advice, live your life at the fullest while you can. You’re still young and you have a long road ahead of you. Getting married and being locked inside a financial company is how you imagine youself in the next few years?” 

Amy didn’t know how to explain why, but she accepted the teacher’s offer. It was only three more months, right? If Kamilah truly loved her, she’d be supportive. After all, it would count on her career later. She’d coordinate the Marketing team of the fair. Mrs. Wright even offered her a place to stay, far away from her noisy roomates. Her fianceé would even be able to visit her again and stay longer, if she wanted to.

When she checked her cellphone, Kamilah hadn’t returned the call yet. She called again, leaving another message.

“Kamilah, it’s me again. Listen, I need to tell you something and I don’t wanna do it over the phone. Would you come visit me this weekend? Call me.”

———————————-

_**Lysimachus** _

Lysimachus woke up in the morning with Kamilah yelling in the living room. As he rubbed his eyes, his mind recalled the reason why she was freaking out. Last night, when he arrived home, Priya was already waiting for him. Naked, on his bed. Although she said she wanted to celebrate his new position at Raines Corporation, he detected something different coming from her this time. She looked vulnerable and insecure. After a few shots, she finally confessed she was afraid of Gaius. Then she begged him to break  _their rule_  for one night. He decided to listen to her appeals, with one condition, she’d sleep on the couch.

“What part of ‘ _she’s going to get you killed_ ’ you failed to understand last night?” Kamilah stormed inside his bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

“Kamilah, nothing happened between us this time… she was only  _sleeping_.”

“Naked? On your couch?”

He nodded, knowing he’d have a hard time to convince his sister he was telling the truth.

“She’s scared,“ he lowered his voice. "She thinks Gaius is going after her first because she’s the weakest in The Council. Do you know how hard it was to make Priya spill those words? So… she’s really being honest.”

Kamilah rolled her eyes.

“You trust her way too much, brother. She isn’t different from The Baron or Lester. After she came to New York, Adrian and I had a hard time too keep her on the line. Vega would let her do what she wanted and she was out of control. She never cared about the Pact. And there’s all these rumors of people going missing after attending her parties. Someday she’ll put the blame on you and this time, The Council will sentence you to death.”

“I’ve heard all of that before,” he sighed, “but I thought she could be an easy prey for Gaius to use next, that’s why I approached her. I promise you, if I ever see her murdering anyone or violating the Pact somehow, I’m out.”

He placed his hand on Kamilah’s shoulders, lowering his head to look straight inside her eyes.

“Do you trust me?”

She rolled her eyes again.

“Alright, just… be careful.”

“I am,” he assured her again. “Now, what brings you here so early?”

Kamilah sat on the edge of his bed with an upset look on her face.

“It’s Amy. She’ll break up with me.”

“Oh, how do you…”

She played the message on her voicemail for him to hear.

“ _Kamilah, it’s me again. We need to talk, it’s something important…  Listen, I don’t wanna do it over the phone. Would you come visit me this weekend? Call me._ ” 

Kamilah was not being excessively negative this time, she was right. In the best of the cases, Amy would only ask her to change the wedding’s date.

“I’m sorry, sister,” he sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Maybe she only needs more time. I mean, when she returns she can help you to plan the wedding.”

“I already took care of everything. The place, the decoration, the buffet… Meanwhile, Gaius was escaping and I’ve put everyone in danger.”

“It wasn’t your fault. There was a voting and we all agreed to wait.”

That was the only time Kamilah was opening up about her feelings and he could see she was devasted.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I’m going to London but… if  _anything_  happens, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll return immediatelly.”

———————————-

_**Not so far away…** _

A figure slowly disappeared, going down the staircase leading to the dark basement of a bar. Making sure no one was following him, he knocked three times at the wooden door. Scholar Jameson invited him in.

“Why did it take you so long? The Master won’t tolerate indiscipline.”

“Don’t worry, my dear Jameson,” the male figure smirked and patted Jameson’s shoulder, “once he hear the news I bring, he’ll be truly satisfied.”

After going to the center of the room, he kneeled and bowed his head, waiting for his Master’s answer.

"I bring good news, My King.

“And what those news would be, Harvey, my most loyal soldier?”

“Everything is going according to the plan. The Council is aware of your disappearance and the blame? It’s all on Adrian. According to my sources, he’s lost as a caged animal.”

“It’s not Adrian I asked you to inform me about. What about Kamilah?”

“The girl hasn’t returned yet. Kamilah doesn’t show but… she’s shaken. She has gone to London after her.”

“Perfect. Push Kamilah a little bit further, as we planned…” Gaius approached touching the circular Brand on Harvey’s upper arm. The Brand that represented Clan Sayeed. “Very soon My Queen will be here, begging for my forgiviness!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Priya is possibly the weakest member of The Council, as The Baron was Turned by Gaius and she didn’t. Quote from Chapter 14 (The Cabin): “each subsequent generation is less pure than the one before. Each generation removed from the original has more weaknesses and impurities”. We don’t know who Turned Jax to determine if he’s stronger or weaker than Priya.
> 
> \- Alternate ending for Memory Fragments is coming soon, I promise! I was really excited to post this fic first. I’m sorry.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.   
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.  
> \- *Smut Alert*

**_Lysimachus_ **

The atmosphere at Raines Corporation was even more tense than any other places Lysimachus had been in the last few days. Adrian would spend most of the day locked inside his office, not exchanging more than a couple of words even with his closest employees.

Lysimachus wasn’t scared. Until a few months back, he didn’t knew Gaius was restrained, so the idea of having him alive somewhere didn’t frightened him as much as the others. He even felt some motivation. Now he’d finally be able to get revenge, not only for himself, but for Kamilah. All the torture and humiliation he suffered in Gaius’ hands were nothing, compared to what his sister went through.

It was weekend and he was ready to drive to a small town in Connecticut, where he suspected the ancient vampire could be hiding. He’d have invited Kamilah to come along, but she was in a flight headed to London to have a decisive conversation with Amy.

He was ready to open his apartment’s door when he heard voices coming from inside.

“What the…"

He grabbed his daggers and leaned his head closer, trying to distinguish what they were saying. After carefully opening the door, he streaked inside, grabbing a man from behind and placing the blade against his throat.

The mortal let out a loud scream. Lysimachus noticed he was shirtless, wearing strange fur vests.

"What the hell is that, man? Some kind of bachelor party?”

“H-Hello sir, y-you must be Lysimachus. I’m S…”

“Oh my god, you scared Sergio!” Priya came out from his bedroom, wearing a bathrobe.

“Priya?!” Lysimachus let the shirtless man go, as another three houseboys appeared, staring at him in fear. “Care to explain what is going on here? What are these… people doing in my apartment? What are  _you_  doing in my apartment?”

The fashion designer dismissed her employees, ordering to be alone with the older vampire.

“I’ve decided I’m staying here for a while. Until my house is considered safe again.”

“No, you can’t… This is  _my_  apartment. You were supposed to ask  _my_  permission to stay.”

“Aren’t you the mighty Hunter who traveled the world killing vampires of all sorts? So, I’m hiring you. Go Hunter! Go get Gaius and the apartment is only yours again. Until then….I’ll stay here.”

She threw herself on the couch with a smirk on her face. Lysimachus was paralyzed. How was he supposed to get rid of Priya when he had no clues of where Gaius could be?

————–

**_Kamilah_ **

On the plane, all Kamilah could think of was everything she was leaving behind. She wouldn’t stay away for more than a couple of days, but at that point, everyone was in danger. Gaius should’ve fully recovered his powers, waiting for the best moment to strike. She feared for Adrian and her brother mostly, knowing he had strong motives to go after them first. And also for her Clan members, in her absence they could be in risk.

She decided to take a nap, after all she hadn’t been sleeping well since she heard the latest news. But everytime she closed her eyes there was only one thing she could hear.

“ _You too… My Queen?_ ”

“ _I did what I had to do,_ ” she wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. Before that, she’d wake up panting and shaking. That night in the 1920’s was when she declared her freedom. For the first time she was free. She could be whoever she wanted, do whatever she wanted. There was no more serving, no more punishment, no more being…  _his_  Queen. She could finally be Kamilah Sayeed. That was when she started dedicating her time to finances, and founding Ahmanet Financial in the late 90s was a landmark. A proof of her success and independence.

Arriving in London, the first thing she did was to find a good hotel to stay. If Amy wanted, there would be where they’d meet. She wouldn’t go to her  _dorm_  again. Not with those savage mortals around.

She waited at hall, thinking how she wouldn’t be surprised if Amy didn’t show up or ended up being late again. Nothing else would surprise her anymore. Unfortunatelly, Amy was proving she was no different of most of the mortals. For Kamilah’s surprise, in the exact time, she heard the girl’s voice behind her.

“Kamilah,” she came running in her direction, involving her in the tighest of the hugs. “Oh my god, I missed you so much.”

“Did you, Amy?” 

“Of course! I haven’t seen you in like… 2 months?!” 

And she smiled, making all the rage and frustration Kamilah had been feeling in the last few weeks completely vanish. She took a deep breath.

“Well, I missed you too,” she finally admitted.

They spent most of the day walking around. Amy showed Kamilah some of her favorite places. Then, they stopped in a restaurant to have dinner. Kamilah checked her phone, wondering if the lack of news was good sign or not.

“Hey,” Amy attempted to get her attention after a long moment of silence, “what’s wrong? You don’t look very well.“

“Sorry, I’ve been tired. That’s all.”

“Don’t tell me it’s because of work, Kamilah. Come on, you promised you’d be taking it easier.”

Sooner or later, for her own safety, Amy should know the truth.

“My brother and Adrian lost track of Gaius. He’s no longer in the library.”

Amy’s eyes went wide and she stared at Kamilah for a second before answering.

“You mean that he could be…”

“Anywhere? Yes.”

“Kamilah, is there anything I can do? I mean, you look terrible. Would you like to talk about it? Tell me how you feel?”

Kamilah was relutanct to tell Amy about her past with Gaius because she knew that, in the end, the girl would pity her, and that was the last thing she wanted. It was the same with Lysimachus, even thought he managed to hide it very well.

"There isn’t much we can’t do at the moment. As for us…” she extended her hand, touching Amy’s, “I’m willing to spend some quality time with you.”

“Good, because I have something else to show you.”

Amy followed her to the hotel, where they could barely hold themselves until they get to Kamilah’s room. Inside the elevator, she pressed Amy on the cold metal wall, kissing her fiercily.

“Hey, easy there…” Amy moaned as the vampired buried the face on her neck, kissing and sucking it. “It’s going to leave marks.”

“That’s the intention,” Kamilah stopped to face her. “To let them know you’re mine.”

Amy smiled, pulling her for another kiss.

As they arrived in the room, Kamilah sat expectantly on the bed’s edge.

“So, what were you going to show me?”

“Just a second.”

Amy entered the bathroom, coming back a few minutes later wearing a sexy lingerie. Kamilah studied closely every detail of her body, with a grin on her face.

“Did you like it?” Amy asked.

In a quick move, Kamilah dragged her to the bed, lying on top of her.

“Look at  _these_ ,” she said, caressing Amy’s chest. “Seems like they were made to fit in my hands… And  _this_.”

She lowered her hand, stopping at the waistband of Amy’s lingerie.

“You can touch it if you want,” Amy bit her lower lip teasingly.

“Hmmm,” Kamilah was thoughtful for a second, “I have a better idea in mind.”

She grabbed Amy’s wrist, placing her hand where she wanted it to be.

“I want you to touch it. I want you to feel what every other person in the world is missing but me.”

“You’re exaggerating, I…"

Kamilah insisted, guiding the movements of her hand. Amy squirmed and arched her back in pleasure. The female vampire watched as her fianceé started to work on herself.

"Good girl,” she smirked, leaning down her head and planting a kiss on Amy’s inner tight. “Now continue.”

She focused her attention back on where Amy’s hand was. Then she placed her hand on top of hers again, giving more pression and speed to the movements, until the girl was close from reaching climax.

“Now stop,” Kamilah ordered.

“I can’t…”

Before Amy could even notice, both of her wrists were pinned above head.

“I said ‘ _stop’_.”

“Come on, Kamilah… just let me…”

“I take it from here,” Kamilah silenced her with a kiss, while her free hand traveled to Amy’s most sensitive part, caressing her teasingly.

“Now tell me, how many people have flirted with you since you came to London?” She stopped again.

“I don’t know… not many…”

“And what do you tell them?”

“That I’m yours!”

“Say it again, so you won’t forget.”

“I’m yours, Kamilah. Only yours.”

The female vampire grinned in satisfaction after hearing those words. She placed her mouth on Amy’s again, kissing her hungrily. Her fangs occasionally nibbing on the girl’s lip. As result of being away from each other for so long, they made love for hours.

Later, Amy was lying in her arms, quiet and apprehensive.

“Kamilah, I really need to tell you something,” she sat down and sighed. “You’re going to hate me.”

Kamilah heard as she told about the teacher’s proposal and the opportunity of working on a big historical fair. That would require her staying in London for another three months.

“That’s okay,” she spoke after Amy finished.

“A-Are you sure? I mean, we’ll have to change our wedding’s date.”

“Amy, if that’s so important to you, I don’t mind.”

“Thank you,” Amy wrapped her arm around Kamilah’s body again. “You’re the best fianceé in the world.”

When Kamilah woke up in the middle of the night, Gaius was standing in the darkest corner of the room. Fresh blood dripping from his mouth.

“Hello, My Queen.”

She sat down in a hurry.

“G-Gaius.”

When she looked to her side, Amy’s eyes were looking at her paralyzed. Her body was pale and cold. Her throat had been slit open.

“Amy,” she reached out to touch her, but she wouldn’t answer. She was dead.

“Kamilah,” Gaius shook his head. “Wasting time with mortals? You?” He approached, cupping her face on his cold hands. “You’re  _my_ Queen, remember?”

Panting heavily, Kamilah opened her eyes. Another nightmare. She checked on Amy, who was sleeping peacefully by her side.

“It wasn’t real,” she told herself.

She went straight to the shower, where she let the warm water pour on her entire body. Closing her eyes, she started to wonder how she would endure another three months away from her fianceé.

————– 

**_Amy_ **

“I missed waking up like this,” Amy whispered when she opened her eyes and realized she wasn’t dreaming. Kamilah was indeed lying right next to her.

She smiled, but Amy knew her enough to tell she was tense, worried. It was expected though. Knowing Gaius was on the loose after everything he had done to her, for almost two millenia.

Amy gave her an inviting look and she understood, lying her head on her chest. While stroking Kamilah’s smooth brown hair, she couldn’t stop thinking why she accepted the teacher’s offer in first place. Mrs. Wright knew how to be convincing and even a little manipulative. If only she knew what was going on in New York before, she would’ve definitely declined the offer.

“Maybe I should go back to New York with you,” she spoke.

“Amy, don’t do that. Don’t give up on something you want only because you assume I’m breaking. I’m fine. I’ll be fine. If I have to face Gaius again, then let it be.”

“Kamilah, it’s not Vega or the Ferals we’re talking about. We’re talking about your Maker. The man who did the most horrible things to you.”

Kamilah censored her with a disapproving look, before getting up and going to the bathroom. It was a touchy subject. She openly told Amy about her past.  _Once_. Then, every mention of Gaius or anything else related, Kamilah would get defensive and closed down.

"I’m sorry,” Amy followed her. “I just… I care about you. And it doesn’t feel right to leave you alone when you’re going through this.”

She wrapped her hands around Kamilah’s waist. The female vampire sighed.

“We assume he hasn’t left the country,” she tucked a strand of Amy’s hair behind her ear, “it’s safer for you to stay here.”

“Right but… if anything else happens, you’ll tell me and I’m going home, okay?”

Kamilah agreed and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips.

There was one thing Amy learned. Things with Kamilah took time. She took some time to trust her, to accept her feelings and to finally confess them. She took quite a while to feel comfortable enough to talk about her past and to share her biggest secrets. Amy was okay with that. She knew that at the right time Kamilah would admit if she needed help. Pushing her would only make her even more distant and secretive. She needed to make her feel safe, but not suffocated.

It was only after lunch that she felt ready to bring the subject again. She told Amy about the nightmare she had in the previous night.

“It was just a dream, I’m here,” Amy assured her. “Speaking of dreams…”

She told Kamilah about the weird dreams she had been having. The old village, the witch and also the temple and the cult.

“Does any of that makes sense to you?”

“No,” Kamilah furrowed her brows confused. “I’m gonna ask Lysimachus maybe he knows something.”

Back to her dorm, Amy couldn’t help feeling lonely and empty. She missed her life with Kamilah in New York. She missed their penthouse, her job at Ahmanet Financial, and her friends. Somewhere, deep down, she wished Kamilah hadn’t agree with her decision.

She turned on her laptop to chat with Lily.

“Did she say it was ‘okay’?” Her best friend was surprised.

“Yes, I didn’t expect that too. She said that if I’m happy, she’s happy.”

“Amy… Kamilah is far from happy. She spend most of her time locked inside her office, she has been skipping every Council meeting, she’s even grumpier than usual.”

“I know, Lil. But she promised me she’ll be alright. Please keep an eye on her for me. I don’t have a good feeling right now…”

————– 

**_Lysimachus_ **

It was impossible to focus on the road with the thoughts consuming him. There were no signs of Gaius in the town Lysimachus suspected he could be, and that was his only and strongest hunch. He tried to imagine where else an ancient vampire, disconected from the modern society and thirsty for blood, could possibly be hiding. The Pop song on the radio on an extremely loud volume was driving him crazy. He pressed a button, turning it off.

“Hey, that was my jam!” Priya complained from the passenger seat.

Lysimachus sighed defeated. He never planned to bring her, but as soon as she found out he was leaving New York for the weekend, she tagged along. While she didn’t disturb his trip, she also didn’t help.

“What’s the plan now?” She broke the silence.

“There’s no plan,” he told, “all we can do is wait for some lead.”

“The Baron was right, you know? We should’ve gotten him at the library when we had the chance.”

“Well, killing him wouldn’t be that simple. He wasn’t Turned like us, and being directly linked to the First Vampire makes him stronger and less vulnerable than us.”

“How is that? How was he Turned then?”

Lysimachus took a deep breath, trying to remember everything he heard in the past.

“There were rumors, legends among some people… The First Vampire was a noble, with magical powers that were able to give her everything she wanted, except for one thing. Immortality.”

After a brief pause, he continued.

“She spent a long time creating an Immortality Elixir. After using the most poweful elements and dark forces, she did it. At one price: she needed the blood of mortals to live.”

“Whoa,” Priya was focused on his story and impressed. “And where Gaius fit in this story?”

“She had many lovers, men and women. To her closest and most loyal, she granted a gift. Using the same ritual and her own blood, she Turned them too. Calling them her sons and daughters. They had almost the same powers as she did, with only a couple of weaknesses.”

“So are you saying that besides Gaius, there’s still his brothers, sisters and his psycho mother?”

“It’s unknown what happened next. Some will say things got out of control. People started to die, the subsequent generations were Turning into Ferals. That was when The First Vampire created the Branding ritual. Before she could act, there was a war with the witch community. She violated each one of their rules and commandments. In order to keep a balance in the world, the witches exterminated her and most of the vampires using a counter spell.”

“But some escaped. Including Gaius.”

Lysimachus nodded in agreement.

“For having less weaknesses than us, it makes hard to kill him. He won’t die with a regular stake. I’m not even sure about decapitation or removing his heart. I never managed to do any, because of his Maker powers over me.”

"That thing he does with his hand?”

“Yes.”

Priya was pensive for a moment.

“There’s one detail you’re missing, babe…” she leaned in, whispering in his ear. “Gaius isn’t my Maker. He cannot pull his puppet master tricks on me.”

That gave him a new perspective. Priya could play a big part on his plan, but it would require something major, that no one had done before… trusting her.

When they arrived in his apartment, he locked himself with her in his office. At least she kept her word, all the houseboys were gone.

“What are you doing?” She asked while he searched for something on his shelves. “You’re looking crazy and I don’t like it. You have that Vampire Hunter look on your face again.”

“This is exactly what I’m going to do, or better, that we’re doing.”

“We?!”

“Yes,” Lysimachus finally remembered where he use to keep what he was looking for. On a safe, hidden behind a poster, he typed the password and retrieved an old book. “Here’s it.”

Priya approached, trying to get a glimpse. The dust between the pages made her cough.

“This book was given me by a witch I used to work with before she was burned at stake. She marked this page with a note saying it’s a ritual to kill ancient vampires, like Gaius.”

“But…” Priya grabbed the book from his hands. “It’s only symbols!”

“It’s a secret code used among witches. I’ve tried to crack it for years but… I gave up.”

“Hmmm. Maybe you should take it to another witch. The one who made us the rings, maybe.”

“I already did. She has no idea what it means.”

Lysimachus sat on his desk, examinating that book one more time. That was possibly the only method to destroy Gaius for good. What was so secretive that the witches were trying to protect when they wrote that? He’d need help of someone that liked adventure, mystery… that someone was definitely Lily Spencer.

————– 

**_Kamilah_ **

_“Another day without Amy,”_ Kamilah thought when she woke up, back to New York. It was only the first from many to come. But at least now she knew her fianceé hadn’t changed. That she was so in love as when she went to London.

Her brother had a different view. In his opinion, she should’ve asked Amy to come back. But Kamilah didn’t want to be selfish, she didn’t want to put her happiness above Amy’s.

She checked her phone, Amy had sent a text saying  _'good morning’_  and wishing her a good day at work. She smiled, knowing she made the right decision. If Amy was happy, it was all that mattered.

Another beep interrupted her breakfast, but it wasn’t Amy this time, but a member of her Clan requesting to see her urgently. Before setting an hour for the meeting, Kamilah went to work. She had no idea how busy her schedule would be.

As she approached Ahmanet Financial’s building, she noticed a strange movement in the front door.

“ _What?_ ” She thought, spotting police cars and officers.

“Excuse me,” she passed through the crowd, looking for answers. “What’s going on here?”

“Are you Ms. Kamilah Sayeed?” A police officer stopped her.

Kamilah nodded in response.

“Your company is closed for investigations,” he handed her some papers to sign. “We’ve got information that you’re involved with the mafia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I’m sorry for the short Amy part, her plot is going to be revealed soon and she’ll appear more often in this story.  
> \- The smut scene between KamilahxAmy was inspired by Diego’s “jealousy” scene in the latest season of Havenfall is For Lovers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.

**_Kamilah_**  
Eyes glowing blood-red, Kamilah stared at her own reflection in the mirror. Inside her a mix of feelings, brought by everything that happened in the last days… Gaius escape, Amy staying in London for another three months and now, the risk of losing her company.

She spent the day at the Police Station, accompanied by her lawyers, attempting to convince them she wasn’t aware of The Baron’s plans when he obtained money through Ahmanet Financial. Though she had powerful and influent attorneys, her life and career were in risk. If she wasn’t capable of convince them of her innocence, she’d have to leave New York to start a new life, in a new distant place, with a new identity. A life she wasn’t sure Amy would accept to be part of.

That stupid meeting Council meeting was the last place she wanted to attend. She didn’t want to look at The Baron’s smirk. He did that on purpose, she knew. Right from the moment Kamilah agreed with his offer in trade of her brother’s life, that was his plan. He wanted to destroy her somehow and he managed to.  
When she arrived at Raines Corporation, the meeting had already started. All the members of The Council were seated at Adrian’s conference room. Lysimachus was telling them about the small town he visited, where he thought Gaius could be hiding.

“Priya and I, we searched in every corner where vampires usually hang out. No one has seen any evidence that suggests his presence in that area.”

 _Priya and I_. Instead of taking his own sister, who spent over two millenia around Gaius, he took… Priya Lacroix. Kamilah gave her a furious glare. The Fashion Designer gave her a mischievous grin in response. She knew Priya’s intentions were the worst as possible and her foolish brother was falling into her trap. Sooner or later she was going to get him killed.  
But Priya was a problem for another day, right now she had pending business with The Baron. The way he was looking at her, he was satisfied, happy…   
“Anyone would like to add anything?” Adrian asked. “Any information is crucial for us in this moment. If you noticed any strange occurrences, you must report to The Council.”  
“I do,” Kamilah stood up from her chair.   
The other Clan Leaders watched her expectantly.  
“This man,” she approached The Baron, “has set up for me. He obtained money through Ahmanet Financial for ilicity activities and now my company is under investigation.”  
“Being old as you are, I thought you were smarter than this,” The Baron spoke. “Why would I risk getting in trouble with the police only to get to you?”  
“For the same reason you attempted to murder me and my brother six months ago. You want revenge!”  
Her eyes became involuntarily red again. The Baron also stood up to face her. Although he was much taller, he offered no threat to Kamilah’s strenght.  
“This is a serious accusation you’re doing. I’ve already proved I had nothing to do with that incident!”  
“Of course you didn’t. As always, your thugs did the service.”  
“I’d like to see you prove.”  
Lysimachus appeared by her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.  
“Kamilah, what’s going on?” He wanted to know. “Would you please calm down?”  
“The police received an anonymous phonecall, reporting my company for having links with his…”  
“Anonymous phonecall?!” The Baron let out a loud, sadistic laugh. “It seems like you’ve made more enemies than you imagined. I don’t solve things anonymously, I solve them face to face!”  
“Fine for me,” Kamilah pulled out both of her daggers. “Let’s solve this, face to face.”

“Kamilah! Baron!” Adrian shouted. “S-Stop! There’s another way we can solve this…”  
“Stay out of it!" The Baron’s eyes also turned red. His two thugs entered the room.

Letting her vampire instincts take control, Kamilah reappeared behind The Baron, holding the blade against his throat. His thugs came to her direction, with their weapons in hands. Jax and Adrian quickly reacted, restraining them.  
"Go ahead, Kamilah. Aside from violating the law, will you also violate The Pact?” The Baron provoked.  
“Screw The Pact!”  
“Your dirty w…”  
In that moment there was nothing else in her mind. All she could think about was how powerful she was. So much poweful than anyone in that room. As she made the mention of giving one final cut, Lysimachus pushed her away from The Baron. Keeping her immobilized at the ground.  
“Have you lost all sense?” Her twin brother asked. “You’re not like this, sister.”

She looked into his eyes, coming back to herself. Realizing that, for a few minutes, she left aside the humanity she still had, acting exactly like  _him_.  
“Are you going to keep staring or are you going to do something, Adrian? I suggest a tribunal,” The Baron was contained at the other side of the room, by Lester. “Kamilah showed intentions of killing me.”  
“I-I…” lost, Adrian glanced at Kamilah, then at The Baron, “I suggest leaving it for another day, everbody here is…”  
“Are you going to side with her?! Because if you do, I’m declaring war against you both.”  
The last thing Kamilah wanted was to put Adrian in trouble. She knew he would never side with The Baron and being punished for her actions was the last thing he needed at the moment. He was the most devasted by Gaius’ return.  
“I’m out,” she announced. “I’m leaving The Council.”  
“What?!” Priya asked.  
“Kamilah, you can’t…” Adrian tried to reason with her. “The Council must always have six chairs and you’re our senior member, we need you.”

She took a deep breath and made her decision.  
“I’m passing my chair to my brother, Lysimachus.”  
———————–

 ** _Amy - A few days later…  
_**Grinning ear to ear, Amy finished preparing her breakfast. The only sound that could be heard was the stereo, playing an upbeat pop song that she was singing along. It was good to finally have a place for herself.  
While she ate, she opened her laptop, hoping Kamilah would be online. She hadn’t heard much from her fianceé in the last few days, except for a text she replied, saying she was very busy at work. When she opened a news website from New York, something caught her eye.

“ _Finance Giant Closed For Investigation: Ahmanet Financial is rumored to have links with New York mafia._ ”

She immediatelly tried to call Kamilah again, but like previously, it went straight to the voicemail. Then she called Lily, hoping her best friend would have any information regarding Kamilah’s whereabouts.

“ _It happened days ago,_ ” Lily told. “ _We tried everything to prevent the media from publishing it, but as you see… it was useless._ ”

“What about Kamilah? How is she dealing with that? Where is she? Oh my god, you guys should’ve told me before!”

“ _I’m sorry, Amy. We thought it’d only cause you an unnecessary stress, being in another country. There isn’t anything we can do at the moment…_ ”

“Where is Kamilah?!” She raised her voice, insisting on the question.

“ _We don’t know._ ”

“What?”

“ _Amy, a few days ago she went to a Council meeting and attempted to kill The Baron. She thought he was responsible for what happened… then she announced she was leaving The Council and… disappeared._ ”

“Okay… I’m going back to New York right now.”

After speaking to Lily, the first thing she did was to schedule a flight. Unfortunatelly, the only one avaliable was at night. At least she’d have time to pack up her stuff and tell Mrs. Wright she was giving up on her position. That was where she went next, to her office.

Mrs. Wright office was a large room inside the University’s building, fully decorated with ancient artifacts from the most diverse cultures. The woman was hiding behind a pile of books when Amy came in.

“Amy Parker,” she grinned, “it’s good to see you. I was just setting up the latest details of our fair.”

“Actually,” Amy pulled a chair and sat in front of the teacher, “there is something I need to tell you, Mrs. Wright.”

“Oh, is it the apartment? Aren’t you adjusting well? Do you need some help?”

“No, the apartment is perfect. I… I’m going back to New York tonight, so I came here to tell you I’m giving up on my position.”

The woman stared at her in silence. Her face was blank, emotionless, in a form that made Amy feel uncomfortable and wish she was angry instead.

“Amy…” she finally spoke, shaking her head. “It’s your girlfriend, isn’t it?”

“Fianceé,” Amy corrected. “She was very supportive of my decision but… she’s going through a big problem at the moment and I feel I need to be there.”

“And tell me, Amy. How can you help her to solve her problem?”

“I-I can’t. T-There’s nothing I can do… but I want to be there to offer the emotional support she needs.”

Noticing she was about to cry, the teacher offered her a cup of tea. Amy told her about the accusations against Kamilah and how she had disappeared.

“I’m so worried,” at this point, tears started to run across her cheeks. “She hasn’t been replying any of my texts or answering my calls…”

“Amy, darling…” The teacher held her hand in a comforting manner. “From everything you told me about Kamilah Sayeed, she’s a strong woman. She wouldn’t do anything stupid. At this point, her lawyers must have adviced her to keep a low profile. To stay hidden somewhere and avoid any contact with people, even with her closest friends.”

“Do you think, Mrs. Wright? I mean, she tells me everything and I’m the only person she trusts enough to seek comfort.”

“Maybe, this time, she’s feeling she needs to be alone. People like her, with her personality, they prefer to deal with pain by themselves. Believe me, Amy. When she’s ready, she is going to call you.”

Amy stood up, trying to reflect about her teacher’s words. Maybe she was right. If Kamilah hadn’t called, it was because she wasn’t ready to share her feelings. Like when she was dealing with her brother’s return or Gaius’ return, she took a while to tell her.

A sculpture inside a glass panel got her attention. It had nothing special. A piece of stone, with inscriptions in an ancient language and the figure of a woman. Amy placed her hand on the glass, feeling a strange sensation running through all her body. It was like she was on fire. Her hand, especially, was burning.

“What the…” she said aloud.

“Is everything alright, Amy?” The teacher was looking at her, confused.

“Y-Yes, I just… I was thinking aloud about Kamilah’s situation.”

Her attention turned back to the sculpture again. There was something unusual about it, maybe the energy it irradiated.

“Mrs. Wright, can you tell me more about this piece? It’s… uhhh… interesting.”

“That’s  _Keaseth_ , Goddess of Immortality,” the teacher approached and a smile appeared on her face. “This piece was found during an expedition I was part of and yes, it’s very special.”

“ _Keaseth_ …” Amy repeated.

“I can tell you more about her if you want,” the blonde woman looked down to her watch, “some other time.”

“Oh, of course,” Amy realized she probably had work to do. “I was about to leave. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Wright.”

The woman went back to her desk, grabbing a pen and some papers.

“So Amy, should I cancel your participation at the fair?”

“Not yet, I’ll wait a few days. Maybe when Kamilah calls me everything will be solved already.”

“You know, sometimes media can make things bigger than they truly are.”

“I know,” Amy forced a small smile. “Bye, Mrs. Wright.”

When she left, she accidentally bumped on another student that was waiting outside, making him drop some books.

“Hey, watch out your step,” he angered.

“I’m sorry.”

Amy helped him to catch the books and papers scattered on the floor. A binder he was carrying made her intrigued. It was labeled as “ _Scott Adams, Marketing Coordinator_ ”, with an advertising about the incoming Historical Fair.

“ _Maybe we’ll be team,_ ” she though as she walked away. She was too stressed to think about it.

———————–

**_Lysimachus_ **

With a lot in mind, Lysimachus looked through the window. The first and most important question, where was Kamilah? After her outburst at The Council meeting, she completely vanished. She wouldn’t answer her phone or give him any signs that she was doing well. And now she nominated him to take her chair at The Council, what was that supposed to mean? Was he responsible for her Clan? Or he needed a Clan himself? He never Turned any mortals or intended to do so… He furrowed his brows, pensive.

“Hello, Brains. How is it going with the secret code?”

Priya entered his home office, where Lily was focused on cracking the old witch code.

“I’ve tried a few possibilities, but nothing seemed to make sense so… I’m accessing the Dark Web to see if I can get some answers.”

“Oh, the Dark Web! I always wanted to know what they say about me in there. Any hot gossip?”

“Lysimachus,” Lily complained, when Priya attempted to grab her laptop. “Can you take her away from here?”

He sighed, gently driving Priya to the living room.

“Can you leave Lily alone?” He begged. “Please?”

“Whatever,” Priya shrugged. “I have something more important to do.”

She laid on the couch, where she grabbed her phone to take her usual daily selfies.

“Indeed, you do,” he announced, joining her at the couch. “We may have to face Gaius sooner than planned.”

“What makes you think that?"

"I can only think he has kidnapped Kamilah.”

“She must be in London, with that girlfriend of hers.”

“She’s not. Lily spoke to her hours ago and she had no idea Kamilah is missing.”

“For god’s sake, it’s Kamilah we’re talking about! She’s a 2000 years old vampire, not a damsel in distress.”

“Get up, we’ll get some training.”

After lots of whinning, he finally managed to drive Priya to the warehouse he used to reunite with his hunting team in the past. While she knew how to manage some weapons, her fighting skills were poor. He’d have to start from the beginning.

“Priya,” Lysimachus yelled as he noticed she was longer paying attention on his theorical lesson. “If you want to be part of this, you must be prepared.”

“If I have to hear you talking for another minute I may turn into ashes! Can’t we just skip to the action?”

“Okay…” he crossed his arms. “Show me what you’ve learned.”

She tried to strike him with a few blows, that he easily deflected, reappearing behind her and pointing a dagger right on her chest.

“Dead. If I was Gaius, you’d be dead.”

Priya rolled her eyes and let out an angry sigh.

“Come on, you’re a Vampire Hunter, 1900 years older than me. It’s not fair!”

“Everyone has a weakness, Priya. If you had paid attention on my lesson you’d know. You just need to identify which one is mine. Let’s try again.”

After many turns, the Fashion Designer wasn’t able to hit him with a single punch. The task would be harder than Lysimachus thought. He knew part of the failure was because Priya wouldn’t take the training, or the mission in general, seriously. She had strenght and potential, but only for the purposes of her own interest.

“What are you watching?” She asked, noticing his moment of distraction. “Like what you see?”

“Let’s try again. One last time.”

That was definitely the last time. If Priya refused to cooperate, he’d assign somebody else for the mission.

He advanced in her direction and as she made the mention of attacking him, he went to the opposite direction, ready to attack Priya behind her back. In the last second, she vanished, reappearing behind him and pressing a blade against his throat.

“Dead,” she mocked.

“How did you do that? I mean we tried many times before and…”

“You tend to repeat a lot of your moves, Hunter.”

“No, I don’t,” he argued.

“That’s your weakness.”

A small smile appeared in the corners of his mouth. She was finally listening to him.

“It’s enough for tonight. We’ll resume tomorrow, but first… I need to ask you something.”

“What?”

“Uhhh… what being a Clan leader entails?”

Priya looked at him and bursted into a laugh.

“Are you asking  _me_  about being a Clan Leader?”

“I’m serious, Priya. I mean, what do I have to do now? Should I lead Kamilah’s Clan or… I’m not Turning any mortals!”

She bursted into laughs again. He sighed.

“Relax, babe,” she said when she stopped. “They need a voting to accept you as member first.”

“Well, The Baron and Lester certainly will vote ’ _no_ ’, but Adrian and Jax will vote ’ _yes_ ’.”

“It means the decision is in my hands.”

“And you’ll vote ’ _yes_ ’, only to torture me.”

She approached him, pushing him onto the nearest wall.

“Only if you’re a good boy,” he felt her hand going under his shirt. Her sharp nails softly scratching his chest.

“What if I’m not?”

“Then…” Priya’s lips grazed his and he closed the distance, kissing her fiercily. Their tongues playing a dominance game the whole time. He placed a hand on her waist, pulling her closer. She responded by biting his lip gently.

When he pulled away, he felt a sharp object pressed on his side.

“Dead,” Priya smirked. “Weakness number two: you get distracted too easily, Hunter.”

She walked a away, laughing sarcastically.

As he came back to his senses, he could barely believe she actually learned the lesson.

———————–

**_Kamilah_ **

After taking one last look at the ocean in front of her, Kamilah turned around and headed back inside the house.

The house in the Hamptons was supposed to be a surprise for Amy when she returned from London. Kamilah failed to find a place that fully pleased her for their wedding, except for that house. It wasn’t avaliable for rent in the period they wanted so she found an alternate solution, buying it.

She went to the bar, serving herself a drink. In a few minutes, Kaira, a member of her Clan would be joining her. She only agreed to meet her because she wouldn’t stop insisting, saying she had something very serious to discuss.

Checking her phone, on top of all the texts she had been ignoring from her brother and Adrian, there was Amy. She forced a smile.

Kamilah, where are you? Please answer me. I just heard the news and I’m worried about you.

Okay, I’m going back to New York. I scheduled a flight for tonight.

Kamilah’s smile grew a little wider with the possibility Amy could be back to New York in that exact moment. A few days alone with her fianceé, in that house, would definitely ease her pain.

Then, she read the last text.

Change of plans. I can’t go back right now, I’m sorry. But please, text me back?

She rolled her eyes again. It was that teacher, she knew. Kamilah had never seen the woman in her life and she already disliked her. She seemed to have some sort of obsession for Amy. Whenever she brought that up, the girl would laugh and accuse her of being jealous and overprotective.

The bell ringing interrupted her thoughts. She opened the door and Kaira came in.

“Kamilah, I’ve been trying to reach you for days… where have you been? What’s with those rumors that you’ve left The Council?”

Kamilah crossed her arms, observing her judgy and demanding attitude. Kaira’s personality made her one of her closest confidents. She trusted her enough to let her in charge of the Clan when she was away.

“Is that why you wanted to speak to me? To question  _my_ decisions?”

The younger vampire poured herself a drink, without even asking for Kamilah’s permission.

“A decision that affects the entire Clan gives us the right of questioning, don’t you think?”

“Fair enough,” Kamilah sighed. “But you’ve contacted me before I left The Council, what was it about?”

“We have two missing members.”

“Who?”

“Harvey and Anya.”

Kamilah went silent, trying to make sense of what she was told. Anya worked at Ahmanet Financial, she was disciplined and trustworthy. Harvey was one of the oldest vampires of Clan Sayeed. One Kamilah was very close to. She trusted him important tasks.

“Hmmm… Any clues where they might have gone?”

“No, but… Since you weren’t answering me, I sent Nate after them. He hasn’t returned yet.”

“Nate?!” Kamilah frowned. “From all members, you sent Nate?”

“Why not?!” Kaira shrugged. “This is the kind of mission he’d love to participate.”

Kamilah let out a defeated sigh. Nate was the youngest member of her clan. A runaway teenager that used to cause trouble around the streets of New York. Until he fell in the hands of The Baron’s thugs, who Turned him and left him abandoned to his fate. He was about to become a Feral when Kamilah and Adrian found him. As Adrian didn’t have an open spot in his Clan, he asked Kamilah to take the boy as a favor. Although he proved to be loyal to her, his troublemaker nature remained, and sending him for such a dangerous task was a risk.

“Did he at least tell you where he was going?”

“No,” Kaira got up from the couch, heading to the front door. “I’ve got his apartment keys, why don’t you go there and check for clues? After all, you have your responsibility in this. They’re out of control now they don’t have to follow The Pact anymore.”

The younger vampire threw Kamilah they keychain and left.

———————–

**_Lysimachus_ **

Frustrated, he punched the keyboard. Kamilah disabled on her cellphone every possible manner to be located. For almost a week Lysimachus hadn’t seen his sister. He was sure she was capable of protecting herself. Kamilah was the strongest and most intelligent woman he knew. The problem was Gaius and what he could possibly do if he caught her.

Minutes later, Lily entered his office in a hurry with a paper in hands.

“Tell me you translated the code.”

“No, but I have some good and bad news.”

“The good first, please.”

“I found information about a researcher. She wrote a book about codes used by Ancient people. The bad news, there aren’t any copies avaliable in the country.”

“Okay, just give me the name of this researcher. I’ll see if I can contact her somehow.”

Lily handed him the paper she brought. At the end of all notes she wrote down, he read a name.  _T. Wright_. Typing it on his computer, Lysimachus was taken to the address of an office in London. At the University Amy was attending.

Willing to defeat Gaius and save his sister at any coast, he’d arrange a meeting with Wright.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.  
> \- I'm sorry for the shorter chapter. Chapters 4 & 5 were supposed to be one, but as it was getting too long I decided to split it in two parts.  
> \- Warning for violence, gore and language

**_Amy_ **

What Amy hated the most about her visions and dreams was that often she wasn't able to remember them. She woke up in the middle of the night feeling an intense tightness in her chest and she couldn't figure out why. After washing her face, she attempted to call Kamilah one more time, only to be frustrated by her voicemail message.

" _I should be in New York right now,_ " she thought, lying on the couch.

Once again she let herself be manipulated by Mrs. Wright. Obviously, Kamilah's situation wasn't simple. She provided funds to The Baron and she always knew his real purposes. What was going to happen if she was declared guilty? This thought made Amy cringe. She couldn't, at any circumstances, to go to jail. Where they'd eventually discover what she truly was. Her only option would be running away and Amy wouldn't let her do this alone.

"That's it," she sighed. "I'm going home tomorrow."

The clock barely struck 8 a.m and she messaged Mrs. Wright, asking to meet her for a coffee. This time nothing she said would be able to change Amy's mind. Didn't she have another student for the fair? Her presence wouldn't be so important after all.

"I lament, Amy," the woman said, after she dropped the news. "You're a brilliant student, that could be a great opportunity..."

"I'll have plenty opportunities in New York too." 

"Of course," she took a sip of her coffee, her eyes never leaving Amy's.

After finishing her own coffee in silence, Amy was ready to leave. Her cellphone buzzed. It was Lysimachus, he still hadn't found Kamilah but he was in the airport, about to go to London. She replied, telling him to meet her at her apartment when he arrived.

"So, that's it," she announced, getting up from her chair. "Thank you for everything, Mrs. Wright."

"Amy, wait," the teacher insisted, holding her arm. "Come with me to my office, I... There's something I need to tell you."

"I really need to go. I need to pack up my stuff and..."

"It'll be quick, I promise."

Although Amy agreed to follow Mrs. Wright to her office, she was determined, this time she was going back to New York. No job in the world was more important than Kamilah's life.

Instead of talking about the incoming Historical Fair, the woman started showing her old documents and videos about Keaseth, Goddess of Immortality. About how she was a noble, who managed to create an Immortality spell through magic. 

" _Why does it sound quite familiar?_ " Amy thought, cocking her head to the side pensive.

"She managed to overcome the barriers of mortality, promising the eternity for all of those who were loyal to her purposes."

"Yeah," Amy agreed without much interest, "sounds awesome."

The teacher's expression changed, as she was about to reveal something incredibly upsetting.

"However, people of her time weren't capable of understanding the gift. They hunted and slaughtered Keaseth servants and... locked her inside a sarcophagus, where she still remains."

"A great legend, Mrs. Wright. But now I..."

"It's not a legend, Amy," she interrupted. "Until the recent days, we believe that when Keaseth returns to life she'll grant us all the Immortality gift."

_We_.  _Us_. The woman's obsession over the Goddess suddenly started to make sense. She was a hardcore believer.

" _Okay, she's definitely nuts. I need to get out of here._ "

Before Amy could come up with an excuse, Mrs. Wright was standing in front of her, staring with a serious expression.

"Amy, I need your help."

"F-For what?"

"Come here with me."

She followed the teacher to her desk, where she started to present some papers. Some sort of genealogy tree.

"This Amy," she pointed, "is Keaseth. And these are her offspring. As they would interfere on her journey, she had to give them up for adoption as children."

" _Best mom ever,_ " Amy remained silent, watching as the woman frantically proceeded.

"I traced all the generations and here's the latest descendant... You."

"Oh," Amy recognized some familiar names of her relatives on the genealogy tree.

"Keaseth left a prophecy. Her descendant, born at the 20th Century, would be the chosen one to awake her. It's in our blood, Amy. You're  _The One_."

"Uhhh..." Amy started feeling a little bit scared. "And how can I... awake her?"

"There is going to be a cult tonight. All you have to do is offer yourself for Keaseth."

"Do you mean sacrifice myself?!"

"Temporarily, yes. After Keaseth awakes, she'll grant you Immortality, as for all of us of her cult. Her servants."

"No," Amy rushed to the door, "definitely no."

She tried to open it, but it was locked. While she tried to reach for her phone in her purse, the teacher stabbed her upper arm with a syringe.

"You have no choice, Amy," she heard as her eyes started to close. "It's your fate."

* * *

**_Lysimachus_ **

"It's only for one day," Lysimachus told, getting hold of Priya's fist as she tried to punch him. "I'll speak to this Wright woman and return."

"If something happens to me, Hunter," she kicked him on his ribs. "It's entirely your fault!"

"This is why we've been training so hard, so you'll be capable of protecting youself!"

Grabbing both of her wrists, he managed to restrain Priya with both of her arms behind her back. He felt a lot of frustration coming from her, which was a good sign. Priya wouldn't accept to lose. Lysimachus tightened even more the grip, when, using an impressive strength, she knocked his nose with her head. 

While he squirmed in pain, she tackled him to the ground. Her eyes glowing blood-red.

"Gotcha!"

"Impressive," he let out a laugh. "You did it. You defeated me today. It means you're ready to be alone while I go to London."

Her face changed from satisfaction to disappointment. Spending the last few days so close to Priya made him learn things he couldn't ever possibly imagine. She was so scared and worried about Gaius situation as any of the members of The Council. She was also dedicated and passionate about her profession, spending a lot of time working on her new collection. And there was something else. Something he needed to point out aloud.

"Hey Priya," he called, as she was leaving the warehouse. She turned around to listen. "You're stronger than you think."

Looking at him, she opened a smile different from everything Lysimachus had seen so far. 

"Well, and you're not invincible as you think, Hunter."

He grinned and shook his head.

In the next morning, he arranged himself a private jet. Before leaving, he needed to take some safety measures. As Adrian was in Chicago for a business meeting, he went to Castellanos Meats for a deal with Lester.

"I need you to keep an eye on New York for me. Place your Clan members in strategic spots. Any suspicious activity, you'll report to Priya."

"And what will I receive in trade?" The male vampire asked. "I won't be risking myself for nothing."

"What do you suggest?"

Lester looked at Priya's hand and smirked.

"I want one of those," he pointed to her ring.

"Okay, we can provide it...  _somehow_."

The next step of his plan: inside his apartment he taught Priya how to operate his powerful computer, that would emit a signal to Jax and his army of former Clanless vampires. In case of any emergencies, they'd be ready to strike.

"And, in the last circumstances," Lysimachus handed Priya a small flask containing a sample of his blood.

"What is this for?!" She questioned, confused.

Opening a small cut in his palm, he pressed it on the device attached to one of his apartment's walls, revealing a secret room, with the most diverse kinds of anti-vampire weapons.

"Oh my god! Look at these toys!" Priya was mesmerized.

"Priya! You need to promise me you won't be touching any of these, unless it's an emergency. Understood?"

Although the Fashion Designer nodded in agreement, Lysimachus wasn't convinced.

"I mean it, okay? Screw this up and you'll be on your own. Oh and no parties, no houseboys, no bringing mortals to my apartment. I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Boooriing!" Priya rolled her eyes and complained, heading to the bedroom to get some rest.

Hours later, Lysimachus arrived in London. He couldn't help worry about what could possibly go wrong in his absence. As he turned on his phone a selfie of Priya doing a thumbs-up in front of his computer suggested everything was going as planned, but he called Lily to confirm. Just in case.

Still no news about Kamilah. He needed to meet Wright and return to New York as soon as possible with answers. From the airport, he went straight to Amy's apartment.

He knocked multiple times but there was no answer. Spying through the window, there was no signs that suggested she was even home.

"Weird," he thought. She told him she'd be home, waiting for him. He tried asking the neighbors, who informed him she had left in the morning.

At the university no one had seen her. In the reception he asked for information about Wright's office. According to the receptionist she had the free day and should be able to meet him any time.

Strangely, the office's door was locked and no sounds were coming from inside.

Looking at both of sides, Lysimachus realized he was alone.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Wright," he started to pick the lock. "It's my sister's life at stake here."

* * *

**_Kamilah_ **

Lily's apartment was the most unorganized and chaotic place Kamilah had been in the recent days, until now. Nate's apartment was a thousand times worse. Worse than a war zone maybe.

She inspected every corner of that filthy place, looking for any leads of where the youngest vampire of her Clan could've gone. Everything she found were pizza leftovers, empty Doritos bags and anime magazines. About to leave, she noticed a small piece of paper under the couch. How she hadn't notice it there before? It was almost like it had magically appeared.

"Midnight Lounge," she read. A good name for a supernatural bar. It was located in a small town in Jersey, only 40 minutes away.

Kamilah entered her car and started to drive, wondering if she should inform Adrian or her brother about the disappearance of her Clan members. Then, she concluded it wasn't a good idea. It was her fault. Her Clan members were out of control because they no longer had to follow The Pact. 

When she arrived, the Midnight Lounge was different than she expected, it looked... normal. People were having drinks, chatting and listening to good music. A band was playing on a small stage. Looking around, only two or three vampires were among them. She stopped at the bar, wondering if the bartender could have some information about Nate.

"Hello, have you seen this kid?" She showed a picture of him on her cellphone.

The bartender glanced at the screen, going pensive for a few seconds.

"Hmmm I might have seen him a few days ago."

"And? Who was he with? Where did he go?"

He took a long time to answer, as if he was looking for an excuse.

"I'm sorry, I don't know." The mortal had a suspicious attitude. Dilated pupils, increased heartbeats... There was something big he was hiding behind those words. Kamilah sat down at a table, ordered a drink and observed. There should be a code. A code to let them know she was a supernatural being.

A couple went to the bar and filled a paper, the bartender guided them to the back of the place.

Discreetly, she followed, watching them disappear through a door. Then she waited. As the bartender returned, she knocked him in the head. 

Behind that door, something she never expected to find. A horror entertainment of the worst kind. Not even Priya could've come up with something that sadistic... Vampires and humans facing each other in a ring, as the crowd cheered and placed their bets on the winners.

"Welcome to another edition of... Mortals vs. Vampires," a man holding a microphone announced. "Tonight we have 3 contestants for each team. Will we have ashes or blood on the floor tonight?!"

"Ashes!" A side of the arena shouted.

"Blood!" The other side replied.

Kamilah placed herself among the vampire crowd, struggling to find a position near the ring, where she could watch it closely. Nate would certainly like that kind of fun. If he was alive he should be there, somewhere.

In the arena the first duo started the battle, a female mortal against a male vampire. To compensate the vampires' advantages, the mortals were allowed to use any kinds of weapons. Yet, she couldn't see how that could end well for the woman.

The fight lasted about 20 minutes. Alhought the vampire was fast, the mortal was incredibly skilled with a katana and martial arts. But in a moment of distraction, where she lost sight of the vampire, he appeared behind her, removing her heart with his bare hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" 

Blood was spilled all through the ring and its surroundings. The crowd cheered even louder, as the vampire fed on the woman's corpse, like a trophy, and recomposed himself from the fight.

After some employees cleared the environment, the second battle started to take place. It was clear the newly turned vampire would be slaughtered by the male mortal. He could barely control his newly-acquired abilities, his over-sensitive hearing was getting affected by the loud noises, giving the man advantage enough to stake him multiple times. It was a matter of time until he hit the vampire�s heart. He was only torturing him before finally taking his life.

Kamilah was about to leave when she saw Harvey on the other side of the arena. Arms crossed and a smile on his face. As if he was enjoying the show.

"Harvey!" She called, but it was useless. Her voice was muffled by the cheering crowd.

He spotted her and disappeared, going down a row of stairs. She frowned and went after him. Leaving The Pact was one thing. Participate on horror shows was another. If The Council found out, all of them would be punished with death. Including Kamilah. It was a risk to the vampire community in United States. 

The basement was dark, she could barely see anything in front of her. Her vision was only starting to adjust when felt a strange sensation. A familiar shiver on her spine she hadn't felt in about a century, follow by a voice.

"Hello, My Queen."

* * *

**_Amy_ **

When Amy opened her eyes, she had no idea where she was or how much time had passed since she passed out.

"Passed out," she suddenly remembered Mrs. Wright drugged her. "Psycho bitch."

She looked around, noticing she was in some kind of temple, lying in an altar. In front of her, a marble sarcophagus where she assumed Goddess Keaseth remains were kept.

"I need to get out of here," she thought. She was unable to move, her arms and legs were restrained by chains.

"Amy, you finally woke up," Mrs. Wright emerged from the darkness, wearing ceremonial white clothes. "Just in time for The Awakening".

Amy remembered her clothes and that place. It was the same place from the visions she was having. Soon, the rest of the members of the cult started to arrive.

"Let me out of here," she angered. "You're all insane! Do you really believe that killing me will bring some sort of mythological creature back to life?"

"This is your fate," Wright approached, caressing her cheek. "You're so fierce and powerful... just like her. Your ancestor, Amy."

Furious, Amy did the only thing she was capable of, spitting on the woman's face.

"You psycho! Now everything makes sense! The acceptance letter, your interest for me, the historical fair... You manipulated all of this!"

"No, Amy. I only helped you to fulfill your destiny."

"Where's Kamilah? It was you, wasn't it? You kidnapped my fiancée!"

"I couldn't care less about your fiancée. If she disappeared is because she simply doesn't care about you anymore."

"This is all your fault! You worked hard to keep me away from her..."

She started to cry. Imagining her wedding with Kamilah, that was supposed to take place in only a few days. That was where she should be right now if she hadn't been so selfish. Now, she wasn't even sure Kamilah was still alive.

The cult started. Wright offered the other members a goblet, where all of them took a sip. Moments later, they began to enter in a hypnotic state and repeat words in an ancient language.

"Help!" Amy screamed. "Somebody help me!"

"Shhh," Wright approached again. "No one is going to listen Amy, we're several feet under the ground."

From behind her back, she revealed an ancient knife carved with inscriptions.

"Don't move, sooner than you think you'll be back to life."

* * *

_**Lysimachus** _

Many hours had passed since he entered Wright's office. Lysimachus searched her computer, the papers on her desk and multiple books, but none or them with the information he needed.

"Where the hell is she keeping that stuff?"

He went to another book shelf, grabbing more books. It had to be there somewhere.

Distantly, terrified screams caught his attention.

" _Help! Somebody help me!_ "

" _Amy?_ " He thought, wondering if he was imagining things.

Turning to his side, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from, he accidentally bumped into a vase. A vase that was probably so old as himself and was now shattered in a pieces.

"Ops, I should leave a check and an apology note before I leave."

He shrugged and grabbed a book. Sitting on Wright's chair, he started examining it. Finally, some of the symbols from the witch code started to make sense. 

"Hmmm interesting..."

Distracted, he didn't even notice when a secret door, hidden behind a bookshelf, opened and a man came to his direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poll: I know most of my readers are interested in this fic for the KamilahxMC pairing, but at the same time I like to push myself further as writer and try new things. In future chapters I may include a MxF smut scene, I know some readerd wouldn't like or feel comfortable, so I'd like to know:
> 
> a) You wouldn't read the chapter at all.  
> b) You would read chapter, but skip the scene.  
> c) You wouldn't mind at all.
> 
> Please, leave an answer on comments or inbox. Your feedback is really important to me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.  
> \- Warning for violence, gore, language and smut.  
> \- As most of you voted in favor of a MxF smut scene, I added it but with a previous warning, so feel free to skip it if you want.

**_Kamilah_ **

She stood frozen in place, unable to turn around. It was a hallucination. It had to be. Amy told her many months ago, when she shared details about the past, that post-traumatic disorders could bring flashbacks, in form of visions or sounds.

Slowly, she clenched her fists and turned around to confirm. Gaius was indeed standing right in front of her.

“G-Gaius…” she attempted to take a step back, but he was quick, touching her face as he used to do in the past. The shivers, the distress, the fear… everything instantly returned to her body at the same strength.

“Are you scared, My Queen?” He stared inside her eyes. She tried to lie, shaking her head in denial. “Well, you should be.”

His eyes turned red and he grabbed her by the throat, crushing her windpipe.

“You, Kamilah… I always expected betrayal from Adrian, so compassionate about mortals. Or maybe Vega, who wanted more power at any cost… But  _you_?!”

She was unable to answer or even breath. Her vision was getting blurred. Her consciousness was slipping away… When she closed her eyes there was only one thing in her mind… That afternoon in Japan.

_“Amy, will you marry me?”_

_“Kamilah, I… yes! A million times yes!”_

Using her entire 2064 years old strength, she grabbed Gaius wrist, digging her nails deeply into his skin until his flesh started to tear apart. As he loosened the grip around her neck, she managed to free herself. Stabbing him in the stomach with her dagger.

She turned around, willing to head back to the stair case, but she stopped. She was no longer able to move. Her body was being held by invisible strings.

“My blood is still running in your veins, Kamilah,” Gaius approached, the wound in his chest already healing itself. “You’re still My Queen.”

“No,” Kamilah clenched her jaw in rage. “I am not!”

Gaius closed his first and she squirmed in pain. Every joint of her body unnaturally popped, causing excruciating pain.

“Yes,” he kneeled down beside her on the floor, “you are.”

His hand touched her forehead. Kamilah gulped. If he fully used his powers on her that would blow up her skull.

“Kill me,” she said. “I’d rather die than… than be yours again.”

Jameson appeared from a dark corner of the room, his laugh echoating through the basement.

“What Amy is going to think about it, huh? Don’t worry, my dear. When she returns and finds your letter, saying you could no longer stand the pressures of living for so long in this world.”

“Imbecile!” Kamilah yelled. “She’ll never believe that! I have witnesses. I have someone I spoke to before driving to his place.”

“You mean Kaira?” Harvey appeared. “May she rest in peace.”

“Y-You killed her… Traitor! I should’ve known, you…”

When Kamilah studied his face again she noticed something different. Harvey didn’t look like his usual self. There was something different about him, in his eyes…

An intense headache interrupted her thoughts. Feeling her brain was starting to bleed, she closed her eyes, expecting her fate. Instead, Gaius stopped and stroked her hair.

“Killing you? I’m not killing you, My Queen. You’ll be mine again.”

Before she could protest, Gaius ordered:

“Jameson, do it.”

Similar to debriefying, Jameson pressed his fingers against her temples, gazing intensely into her eyes. But the magic he was using was another, he was hypnotizing her.

“No,” she winced, trying to resist the spell.

Everything started to return, the thirst for human blood, the devotion for Gaius and his purposes, the will of ruling the world, knowing she was superior than any being… than any mortal… than…

“ _Amy,_ ” she thought.

“ _You make me want to be better. SO I can be… even half the woman you deserve._ ”

She couldn’t give in. For Amy. She needed to focus on something else. On the memories of the woman she loved. On their wedding plans.

Then she started to remember her brother. How he’d always take the blame when they got in trouble as children.

“ _I’ll always protect you, sister._ ”

And Adrian. How he comforted her after the night they defeated Gaius.

“ _It’s over now, Kamilah,_ ” he embraced her. “ _We’re free._ ”

Jameson stopped, announcing the ritual was complete. When she opened her eyes again, they were glowing dark red.

“How are you feeling, My Queen?” Gaius asked.

She looked at him, smiled and bowed.

“Like I’ve been reborn, My King.”

———-

**_Amy_ **

Amy closed her eyes, feeling the cold metal of the blade pressed on her throat. A single tear ran across her cheek. Kamilah would never know what happened to her or how much she lamented abandoning her for this stupid course in London.

“What the hell is that now?!” Wright grunted when a crashing noise came from above the temple. “There’s someone in my office!”

She sent another member of the cult to check. Minutes passed and he didn’t return. The woman started to get impatient.

“If your girlfriend has anything to do with that, I’ll…” she threatened.

A figure suddenly streaked down from the staircase to inside the underground temple. When he stopped, Amy recognized.

“Lysimachus!”

“Amy?! What is going on here?”

One by one, the members of the cult advanced in his direction. He had no trouble to knock down all of them.

“You!” Wright yelled. “How dare you to interrupt the awakening of Keaseth, the Goddess of Immortality?! You’ll pay for that!”

Infuriated, she stabbed him in the stomach with the cerimonial knife.

“My apologies,” Lysimachus moaned, a little disturbed by the pain. “There’s one detail you missed though…”

“Which is?”

“Keaseth is not the only immortal here,” he pulled the knife out of his abdomen, slicing her throat.

Amy closed her eyes, avoiding to watch as the woman’s blood spilled in every direction and she emitted the last sounds, indicating life was leaving her body. On other hand, she couldn’t be more grateful. If it wasn’t for her brother in law, she’d be the one dying in that moment.

“Hey,” he approached, in all his kindness, breaking the chains that were restraining her limbs. “Are you alright?”

Amy nodded and hugged him tightly. Against his chest, she sobbed continuously.

“Shhhh,” he stroked her hair. “Calm down. It’s okay now…”

“I-I left Kamilah alone for  _this_ …”

“You didn’t know.”

She tried to stand up on her feet, but the effects of the drugs Wright injected on her body were still making her unsteady. Lysimachus grabbed her in his arms and placed her on a couch back on Wright’s office, where he finished getting all the books he needed.

Later, he took her to a hotel, where she had a warm shower, a nice meal and a comfortable bed to rest.

“Do you have any news about Kamilah?”

He sighed, taking a long time to answer.

“No, I’m sorry.”

He got up and went to the balcony, where he called Priya to confirm everything was alright in New York, leaving her alone to lament for her girlfriend one last time before falling asleep.

———-

**_Lysimachus_ **

“ _Everything’s fine, babe._   _Almost_.” That  _almost_  coming from Priya concerned him, but was the last of his worries. He spent the night awake, watching Amy sleep. The amount of drugs Wright administered could still give her side-effects.

Meanwhile, he analyzed the books he collected. Trying to relate the symbols from his book to Wright’s research.

“Would you mind to fill me in on what were you doing at that crazy bitch’s office?” She woke up, walking to him.

“I have this old ritual instructions,” he explained. “In some unknown language only she studied.”

“Anything that could help Kamilah?”

“Yes. If she’s in Gaius’ hands as I suspect, this ritual would defeat him forever.”

Amy sat down on the bed’s edge, watching him in silence.

Reading the about Keaseth, Goddess of Immortality, something started to sound familiar. That was the story of the First Vampire, except it omitted a great part of the true history.

“Amy… what else did she told you about Keaseth?”

“A lot, actually. She spoke about it in an affectionate manner, like if she was a real person or something. Oh, and she also had the obsessive idea that I was her descendant, reason why I should sacrifice myself to bring her back to life.”

“That explains a lot…” he muttered, reflecting about Amy’s special abilities. That could also be the reason of her attraction for New York, for Raines Corporation and the vampire world. Her blood was somehow linked to Adrian’s, Kamilah’s and all the others.

“W-Why are you looking at me like that? A-Am I some kind of…”

“You’re the First Vampire’s descendant, Amy.”

“And what does that makes me?” She looked scared at this point, her eyes were wide in fear.

“Human,” he let out a small laugh. “With a few magical abilities.”

———-

**_Kamilah_ **

Gaius cupped her face into his hands, staring directly into her eyes.

“My Queen… it’s so good to have you back. Now we should proceed, we need to return our purpose of ruling this land.”

“ _Over my dead body!_ ” Kamilah thought. But she needed to fake it. She needed to make Gaius believe she was under his spell. It was the only way to survive and find out his plans.

“Of course, My Love. As you desire. But shall we build an army first?”

Apart from Jameson, he no longer had thralls, willing to serve him on his sick world domination plans.

“We’re already forming one, My Queen,” behind him, Harvey, Anya and Nate were standing, together with some champions from the Mortals vs. Vampires contest. They were all hypnotized and ready to listen to his commands. “what is yours is mine. You managed to build a powerful army yourself.”

She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to control her rage. He was willing to take her Clan members as servants. She couldn’t let that happen.

“Of course, I must return to New York and enlist the rest of them for our kingdom.”

“May I have the word, Master?” Jameson interrupted.

“Speak, poppet,” Gaius frowned at him, displeased.

“ _I_  should recruit the servants. How can you trust Kamilah after her betrayal?”

Gaius furrowed his brows and grabbed Jameson by the neck.

“How can I trust  _you,_  after you almost killed My Queen?”

Those words ignited a spark inside Kamilah’s mind. Gaius ordered Jameson to create a plan to get her and Lysimachus, which he failed, trying to murder them instead. She felt even angrier, but she couldn’t let it show.

Gaius turned back to her. She felt the same shiver running through her bones as his ancient eyes looked at her.

"Can I trust you, My Queen?”

“Of course, My Love. I shall never betray you again. I… I was under Adrian’s influence. He manipulated me into that, saying we could rule the world without you. While we built our own empires, my life has been empty, meaningless…”

He studied her eyes for a moment. Her heart was racing inside her chest, wondering if she was acting well enough.

“Kamilah,” he smile, satisfied. “I always knew it was Adrian’s fault, but now he’ll no longer manipulate you…” he caressed her face, before planting a small kiss on her lips.

Kamilah felt she was about to throw up.

“But to prove your loyalty, there’s something else you must do…”

“ _Please, not that… please, not that…_ ” her stomach hurt and she started to tremble. She’d rather die than surrender to him in the manner she was thinking.

“You’ll return to New York and gather the latest news about The Council’s plans. Then you return and report them to me.”

Kamilah let out a discreet, but relieved sigh and nodded in agreement.

“Harvey will be recruiting the rest of our army.”

“So, I should get going,” Kamilah told. “Adrian is coming back from Chicago, as I heard.”

“No,” Gaius stopped her. “Before that, I prepared you a welcome gift.”

With an arm around her shoulders, he drove her to the next room, where a group of mortals were gagged and tied by ropes. Their eyes were terrified in pure fear.

“A feast for My Queen.”

“I… I’m not hungry.”

“Kamilah,” he brushed her hair away from her neck and whispered in her ear, “you’re always hungry. I know you.”

“Later, My Love. I’m tired, I…”

“Feed,” he ordered. “Now.”

She gave one last quick look at the mortals, as if she was apologizing for what she was about to do.

———-

**_Amy_ **

“It was horrible…” she rested her head on Lily’s lap, crying her eyes out. “If Lysimachus hadn’t arrived, I…”

“You’re safe here with us now,” Lily stroked her hair. “Right, Jax?”

The male vampire agreed. Lysimachus thought it’d be better if she stayed at the Shadow Den until he solved some pending businesses. She also didn’t feel like going back to the penthouse yet, knowing Kamilah wouldn’t be there.

After eating the special meal Jax cooked, she called her fiancée again. Trying to hide she had been crying.

“Hey you, I know you’re going through a lot right now but… I’m back. I’m in New York and I’m waiting for you. Please, call me back. Let’s go through this together, please? I love you.”

She couldn’t get any sleep, apart from the jetleg, it seemed like Wright’s maniac face was everywhere, observing her. Lily was focused on her computer as always.

“So, what great games have I missed?” Amy forced a smile, trying to get some normality back to her life.

“It’s not a game. I’m trying to decyphrate the code. The ritual to kill Gaius. With the book Lysimachus brought, I actually may have found something. We need a…  _magic seal_?”

“Don’t tell me about magic, please,” Amy rolled her eyes, making Lily laugh.

“Uhhh there’s something else you can do,” Lily handed her another laptop. It was Kamilah’s laptop. “Maybe you can find any clues of where she might have went? I mean, you’re her fiancée. You kinda have permission to invade her privacy in cases of emergency.”

Amy grabbed it and went back to the improvised bed. On Kamilah’s desktop, the Ahmanet Financial’s logotype had been replaced with a picture of them together. The girl smiled.

On her documents all she could find were files about her company, e-books and articles related to finances, botanic and the Ancient Egypt. Although it was against her best judgement, she decided to access Kamilah’s finances.

“ _Whoa,_ ” until now she knew her fiancée was rich, but not  _that_  much.

Nothing suspicious. Only restaurants, stores, her flight to London… but before that, she found a big transaction. A house in the Hamptons.

“Lily…” Amy furrowed her brows confused, “did you know Kamilah recently bought a house in the Hamptons?”

“I had no idea. I don’t think Lysimachus does either.”

“Maybe she’s there!”

Without caring about anything else, Amy entered a taxi, headed to the house. She called Lysimachus but he was unable to answer.

“I found something about Kamilah… Call me when you can.”

The house was completely empty. Lights were off, indicating no one was there.

“Fuck!” Amy cursed. That was her only hope to find Kamilah, safe and sound.

Then, she walked to the house next door, a little intimidated by its luxuriousness. A middle-aged woman answered.

“Excuse me… my fiancée just bought the house next door and she has been missing for days. Would you happen to have seen her around lately?”

“Are you sure she’s missing? Because she was there until yesterday.”

“Thank you, Miss.”

Amy headed back to the front door of Kamilah’s house, expecting her to return at any moment.

———-

**_Lysimachus_ **

“I’m sure we can find a peaceful resolution,” he paced around his office at Raines Corporation, running his hand through his black, straight hair.

Lester convoked a Council Meeting, claiming Priya attempted to take his life. Lysimachus suggested they should wait until Adrian returned, but The Baron purposely threw the responsability in his hands.

“No,” Lester angered, “I want her punished right now! My hand hasn’t fully regenerated yet, almost 24 hours later!”

“Priya,” he glanced at the Fashion Designer again. “Would you tell me your version of the facts? Seriously this time.”

“Of course. I had to attend a photoshoot, where my models were being photographed for my newest collection and I thought:  _hey, I should take one of Lys’ weapons, just in case of an emergency, you know?_ ” She started to tell. “Then I heard a noise, coming from behind a curtain. The girls panicked, I panicked… and bang! I shot. See? Not my fault. I thought it was Gaius but… it was only Lester.”

“The weapon in question has turned my arm into ashes! My hand hasn’t regenerated yet!”

“But it will, in a few more hours,” Lysimachus assured. “The damage is only permanent when it hits the head or the heart.”

After lots of argumentation, Lester finally agreed to take the attack as an accident. After all he secretly invaded the photoshoot, to spy on the female models.“

When he and The Baron left, Lysimachus was alone with Priya in the office.

"One job,” he sighed angrily. “I gave you  _one job_  and you fucked it up. Can you imagine if you had killed Lester, with my weapon?! A weapon I didn’t authorize you to use?!”

“Come on, babe. We both agreeit wouldn’t be such a loss.”

“You could’ve started a Clan war!” He slammed his fist on the table. “You could’ve sentenced me to death! Do you know the price I’m gonna have to pay, Priya? I’ll have to report all my arsenal to The Council, maybe even share! Can you imagine these weapons on The Baron’s hands? He tortures people!”

She stared at him in silence. For the first time he detected sadness and regret coming from her.

“I-I’m sorry?”

“I…” he wasn’t sure of what to do. “You’re out. Tomorrow you’ll go back to your house and I’ll find somebody else for the mission. I know a lot of vampires who weren’t turned by Gaius. What could I expect from you anyways? You only care about yourself.”

He left to his apartment. Still no signs of his sister. Everytime he opened the door, he hoped she’d be sitting on his couch with a drink in hands, as usual.

A warm and relaxing shower was everything he needed after such exhaustive events. He started to remember what Amy told him, about being related to the First Vampire. What other hidden abilities could she have? Did she have any powers, aside from visions and telepathy?

**—– MxF Smut Scene - If you don’t wanna read it, skip this part —–**

His thoughts were interrupted by a pair of arms, hugging him from behind and caressing his chest.

“Priya,” he turned around. “Out. Now!”

She didn’t let go, making sure to press even harder her body onto his.

“You didn’t give me a chance to explain myself.”

“You already did.”

“Not properly. Only me and you…”

The warmth of her skin, as well as other features of her body, brushing against his skin sent shivers down to all his spine.

“I mean it…” he turned around, breaking free from her arms. “I don’t wanna see you right now.”

“Oh really?” Priya smirked. “This is not what your body says,” her hand traveled down to his lower abdomen.

Although he was enjoying the sensation, he needed to resist his instincts. He couldn’t consent with Priya’s actions. She could’ve put them all in danger, for breaking that one promise she made.

“I don’t want you anymore.”

She stopped and faced him again. A devilish smile never leaving her lips.

“Too late, Hunter.”

She started kissing the way down to his chest, until his hips. As her mouth started to work on him, Lysimachus stopped breathing.

“S-Stop,” he tried again, gasping.

She looked at him with lustful eyes. The last bit of control he still had was slipping away.

“Make me,” Priya stood up, whispering in his ear.

With eyes glowing red, he switched places, pressing her against the cold tiles of the wall. Smart as she was, he felt staight into her trap. She wrapped both legs around his waist, teasing him… rubbing herself on him, letting him know how close he was from being exactly what she wanted.

“ _Screw it,_ ” he thought. “ _It’s the last time._ ”

He devoured her mouth into a kiss, as together they built up a rythm. She tightened the grip around him even more, inviting him to go deeper and harder.

As she felt he was close from reaching climax, she bit his neck, drawing some blood. He responded by doing the same. She tasted like danger and he loved it.

The night went on for hours, long hours. And for the first time since Priya arrived to his apartment she spent the night in his bed, with him.

**—– End of scene —–**

In the morning, along with the alarm sound coming from his cellphone, something caught his interest, a text from Amy:

“ _I found something about Kamilah… Call me when you can._ ”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.
> 
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.
> 
> \- My apologies for taking so long to update. Between family problems and my computer dying, I had no internet access for almost a month.

**Amy**

The sunlight reflecting on her face made Amy wake up from her sleep. Drowsy, she realized she had fallen asleep at the Hamptons' house doorstep. Still no signs of Kamilah, but Lysimachus replied her text.

After giving him the directions, her brother-in-law arrived some time later.

"Well, it seems like we'll have to do it the wrong way," he started picking the door lock. "If the house really belongs to Kamilah I'm sure she'll eventually forgive me," he shrugged.

"Whoa," Amy opened her mouth in astonishment as she followed him inside. The modern-styled house was huge and incredibly beautiful. It had a large swimming pool and a spaceful backyard with direct access to the beach.

"Hey, she brought some clothes," Lysimachus announced, emerging from one of the bedrooms. "This is definitely where she spent the last few days."

At the kitchen, they found two empty glasses, suggesting Kamilah also had a visitor recently.

"We'll never find out who it was," Amy complained.

"Don't be that pessimistic," Lysimachus quickly grabbed his phone. "Most of these fancy houses have surveillance cameras."

They sat on the couch and he hacked through the security system, searching for footage from the last couple of days.

"Found it. It was Kaira, a member of Kamilah's Clan. I've met her once."

"How long did she stay?"

"Quick visit, less than one hour. Only time enough for a drink. I'll get her number and try to obtain some information."

After many attempts, Kaira was unreachable. She had been declared missing, like three other members of Clan Sayeed.

"It has Gaius' name written all over it," Lysimachus angered, slamming his fist on the coffee table.

Amy felt a strange pain in her stomach. If Gaius had really gotten Kamilah, at this time she could be dead. Walking away from her brother-in-law, she went to one of the bedrooms, where she grabbed one of Kamilah's shirts and held it tightly to her chest. It still had her fragrance on it.

" _Please, be okay. I need you to be okay._ "

Inside the drawer, she found a binder with plans for their wedding.

Not only Kamilah had bought that house for the party, but she also picked the most beautiful flowers for the decoration and a sophisticated buffet menu. The cake was Amy's favorite flavor and she didn't forget to include the chocolate fountain Amy begged for, even if she mocked it in the beginning.

" _Amy, are you getting married or throwing a birthday party? Chocolate fountain?!_   _Please._ "

Amy gave a small smile, followed by a tear that streamed down across her cheek.

"Amy, let's…" Lysimachus entered the room, noticing she was crying. "What is that?"

He took the wedding plans from her hands and read it.

"She planned us the most perfect wedding party and I threw everything away! Because of a psycho bitch that manipulated every inch of my stupid brain!"

Her brother-in-law involved her in a warm and assuring hug.

"We'll find her alive and safe. You  _are_  having this party, are you listening? I promise you. I'm Kamilah's best man after all."

"Oh," Amy let out a small laugh, "I thought there was a dispute between you and Adrian?"

"Yeah… she has two best men. And it's their duty to assure she'll make to this wedding."

Amy smiled and hugged him back.

"Now let's go. We need to find your runaway bride."

* * *

**Kamilah**

Taking a deep sigh, Kamilah looked to both sides before deciding to leave the car. Her mind still wasn't working properly. Driving without a specific direction, she stopped at her penthouse's edifice. Her clothes were covered in blood. Human blood. She couldn't allow herself to be seen or caught. Using her vampire abilities, she streaked up using the emergency staircase, until she got home.

Throwing herself at the couch, she was unsure of what to do. It was only the beginning. That was only the first proof she had to give Gaius of her loyalty. There was more to come, she knew. Things she would no longer accept to be submitted to. And there was Amy… Amy was her biggest weakness at the moment. He surely knew that. It was a matter of time until she had the same fate as many of her past lovers.

" _I need to end this,_ " she clenched her jaw.

After making sure Lysimachus wasn't home, she used the extra key she had to explore his apartment. He had a secret weapon against Gaius. An old ritual he hadn't told anyone about. She just needed to find it and perform it. All by herself. She wasn't going to risk anybody else's life.

Between short and shallow breaths, she opened every drawer, checked every shelf, before noticing the ancient book was lying open on his desk. Using her cell phone's camera she took pictures of the pages she needed.

A click coming from the front door made her freeze in place. She needed to leave or hide immediately, but before she could even act, Priya was standing in front of her.

"Kamilah?!" Somehow she looked surprised. "What are you doing here? Jeez, you look terrible! Is that blood…"

"Priya!" She frowned, censoring the younger vampire with her furious glare. That sadistic imbecile had probably been sleeping with her brother again. "Where is Lysimachus?"

"He left a few hours ago. He went to meet…"

"Good," Kamilah interrupted, giving her no more time to speak. Knowing her brother was alive was enough. She passed by the fashion designer and left the apartment, returning to her penthouse.

Under the shower, she frantically rubbed her arms and hands while tears kept streaming down her face. It didn't matter how much she had already washed herself, it seemed like the blood of all those mortals was still impregnated in every layer of her skin. As well as the feeling of Gaius' lips being pressed on hers.

She looked herself at the mirror and all she could see was a monster.  _His Queen_ again.

When she left the bedroom to get dressed, she heard a noise. The penthouses' door opened. It could only be Gaius, she thought. He knew she hadn't been hypnotized. Like he always managed to find out everything. Holding both of her daggers firmly, she walked in stealthy steps. When the figure passed through the door she was ready to strike.

"Amy?!" Her eyes went wide in shock. Her fiancée was the last person she expected to see in that moment.

* * *

**Lysimachus**

It was around lunch time, but Lysimachus was sitting at a bar, staring at the bottom of an empty glass. The third he had so far. Alcohol never fails to dull the pain, Kamilah would always say.

Aside from his sister's possible kidnap by Gaius Augustine, something else was puzzling his mind. Priya.

After hours of intense sexual intercourse he was exhausted, but not enough to make him fall asleep. Lying on his chest, he watched her. She looked almost… innocent. There was so much about her he didn't know. He wondered what was her story. What could be hidden behind vicious and cold personality?

" _I'm sorry, Hunter,_ " she murmured before falling asleep. " _I mean it._ "

Yet, when she woke up she was back to her usual self. While having breakfast, she was focused on an app, that she paid to be created for herself. ' _Bleeder_ ' it was called. Using it, she browsed for mortals that were willing to satiate her blood thirsty, as if she was picking a date.

" _Ha! That's a match!_ " She celebrated, staring at the picture of a middle-aged man on her screen. " _Gotta go._ "

"What's in your head?" A female voice coming from behind brought him back to reality.

"Hey you," he turned around to see the young witch who helped him to obtain the daylight rings. "Thanks for meeting me."

She ordered herself a meal. Chicken nuggets. He only observed, as she teased and mocked him, knowing it was a common distaste among vampires.

"So… you're not having any of these," she playfully took a bite.

"Not today, no."

"You're not in a good mood, I can see."

"I had a difficult night. I couldn't get any sleep."

"Oh."

He gulped, wondering what was giving it away. Were there any bruises on his neck that hadn't healed yet?

"This is not what I meant," he felt he was blushing a little. "I can't stop worrying about Kamilah."

"So… let's change the subject, why did you want to see me?"

He grabbed copies of the pages from the ancient book. Though she had examined it before, she had been studying Wright's books, to see if she could offer any help.

"This symbol," he pointed. "I can't find its meaning anywhere."

"Hmmm," she was pensive. "Neither did I but…" she ran a finger through the page. Lysimachus knew she was trying to obtain a vision, a connection with her witch ancestors.

"This symbol was created to protect something… a great source of power…" suddenly her eyes went wide in shock. "S-Sorry, I can't say anything else."

"Come on, you're the only person that can help me to rescue my sister!"

"I-I… The ancient witch power is blocking me. I'm sorry."

He sighed in frustration. After she left, he called Lily. Apparently she had news for him, about the remaining parts of the ritual. When he entered the car, a message appeared on his screen.

_Hunter. Come home ASAP._

_I can't. I have important matters to take care of._

It's a f****** EMERGENCY!

Rolling his eyes, he wondered what trouble Priya had caused this time. As he promised himself, it was the last time. Depending of the damage she caused, he'd kick her out of his apartment and take the case to The Council. She had no right to jeopardize the most important mission of their lives. The one that was supposed to decide their fate and the fate of humanity.

"Forget it," he turned off his cellphone, "I'm meeting Lily first."

However, when he returned home, Priya was impatiently waiting for him, with a surprised look and a grin on her face.

"Why did you took so long? I did something that will make you forgive me… I found Kamilah."

* * *

**Amy**

In a fancy restaurant, Amy studied Kamilah's behavior. That wasn't the Kamilah she was used to. She looked extremely anxious, uncomfortable and avoiding her gaze the entire time, as if she was trying to hide all her distress. When Amy entered the penthouse, the first she noticed was her fearful expression and the daggers, being held firmly in her hands.

After dodging all her questions with technical answers about the legal procedure that was being moved against her company and the solutions her lawyers were working on, Amy finally concluded that behavior had nothing to do with Ahmanet Financial. It was deeper than that.

"So… uhhh…" Amy tried to break the silence, "have you canceled our wedding party? I mean, if you want… we're still in time."

"We'd have to rush a lot of things," Kamilah coldly replied, her eyes never leaving a glass of wine. "The dresses aren't finished. I told you Priya should not be trusted."

"That was my fault, she went to London to make the final adjustments but I missed the sessions. I was too focused on…" remembering Wright made her twitch in anger.

"I forgot to cancel. Actually, we can solve that tomorrow."

"Now I'm back, there aren't any reasons why we should cancel. Priya can make the final adjustments, after all she has been living with your brother."

"She has been… what?!" After almost chocking with her wine, Kamilah shook her head in a mix of disappointment and shock.

Another silence settled between them. She didn't answer what Amy wanted to hear.

"Are there, Kamilah?" She insisted. "Any reasons why we should cancel our wedding?"

"I-I…" she bit her lower lip. "You should return to London."

"I'm not returning. The course is over and I'm no longer part of the…  _fair_."

"You didn't tell me about it, what happened?"

"Don't change the subject."

When Amy noticed she was raising her voice, she concluded it was time to call it a night and go home. The first thing she did once they got home, was to confront Kamilah again.

"You're hiding things from me again. It's Gaius, isn't it? He came after you!"

Kamilah looked down at the floor. Amy noticed she had stopped breathing.

A realization suddenly came. The things Kamilah told her about her past with him. The things he forced her to do. The manipulation, the punishments, the trauma.

"Oh my god! W-What did he do to you?" At this point, Amy was trying to not cry. "H-He didn't…"

"Amy…" Kamilah finally shouted, firm and demanding. "If you have any love for your life, I suggest you to leave through this door  _right now_  and forget you've ever met me. My brother can debrief you, if you want."

Amy stared at her in silence for a brief moment before involving her in the tightest of the hugs. She could sense Kamilah's insecurity, her fear, her vulnerability and that, broke her heart more than anything. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

"No," she shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks, "I don't fear Gaius. I'm not going anywhere or leaving you. We will fight together."

* * *

**Lysimachus**

"Don't joke about it. Okay, Priya? Not about my sister!"

"Gosh, you won't ever trust me, will you?!" She frowned. "She was right here, in your office! With a maniac look on her face and clothes covered in blood. Human blood. I sniffed it."

"What?"

After leaving the restaurant, Lysimachus decided to ignore Priya's supposed emergency and meet Lily at the Shadow Den. That was his priority. She had news for him about the ritual.

" _This symbols,_ " she pointed, explaining, " _are telling you need to trap him inside a magical seal._ "

" _Easy_ ," he sighed. " _I've learned how to create a magical seal._ "

" _Then, you need another spell. To weaken him. I'm figuring out the ingredients we'll need._ "

" _Good. And the two remaining items? Could you figure them out?_ "

" _Not yet, but… we're getting close._ "

He didn't believe Priya at first, but after going to the penthouse to check on Amy, he found her sitting on the couch. Paralyzed and frightened. Kamilah had indeed returned. She told him everything. The few details she was able to make Kamilah spill.

"So, he lured her into a trap and attempted to hypnotize her?"

"Yes, somehow she managed to break the spell, but Gaius doesn't know it. He thinks she's under his influence, after making her prove her loyalty."

"What kind of proof?" He narrowed his eyes in pure rage, imagining what that son of a bitch could've possibly submitted his sister to.

"He uh… made her slaughter and feed from a group of mortals."

While Kamilah was no longer very sympathetic of mortals, Lysimachus knew that at this time she should be feeling somehow guilty. After Amy, her views about the mortal world had softened a little.

"Where is she now, Amy?"

"Sleeping. I discreetly gave her some tranquilizers, she was in too much distress."

Lysimachus went to the mastersuite where he stroke his sister smooth hair and kissed her forehead. He was relieved she was safe, and he'd do anything to protect her. Even if that meant he'd have to sacrifice his own life.

Later, he was sitting at his home office with a smirk on his face when Priya arrived.

"Where were you so late?"

"Worried much, Hunter?"

He rolled his eyes in response.

"I was at my house, with some members of my Clan."

"Hmpft," he took a sip of his drink. "I can image doing  _what_."

"Training," she placed herself in front of him, facing him closely. "After all, I'm supposed to kick Gaius old ass, right?"

"Hmmm, growing responsibilities…" he mocked. "I like it."

"What about you? What's with that smirk?"

Lysimachus served her a glass of his whiskey.

"Know why we get along, Priya?"

"We're both good in bed?"

"Other than that. We know how to play games."

"What do you mean?"

He told her his latest plans. He was one step ahead of Gaius, like the old times. Lysimachus knew his location, but he wasn't aware of that.

His next move was to forge a document, where Kamilah supposedly gave him entire control over her Clan. The word spread to the hypnotized members was that they were sent to different parts of the country, searching for Gaius. In truth, they were all safely hiding in a small town in Indiana. Gaius would have to find new manners to recruit servants.

"Smart move, Hunter," she extended her arm, clicking her glass on his. "Cheers."

"Cheers."

* * *

**Kamilah**

"Morning, sleepyhead," waking up to Amy's voice sounded almost unreal, considering how long she had been away.

"I missed waking up like this," Kamilah forced a smile. Although she was glad to have her fiancée back, she knew her life was in danger.

Amy placed a tray of food in front of her, containing the black, strong coffee she liked, a small vase of flowers and the usual pancakes, with a smiley face with fangs.

"Don't give me this look. You're already starting to think about that stuff again."

"That stuff is a threat to your life."

"We'll solve it. Lysimachus is already working on it."

"Is he?" Kamilah took a sip of the coffee.

Amy informed her about some books and articles they retrieved from the University she was attending. Kamilah could tell she was omitting parts of the story, details she knew that could possibly cause her more stress.

Whenever she started spacing out again, remember she was under Gaius sight, Amy would find a way to distract her, whether was singing or complaining about how Kamilah's hair looked perfect even when she had just woken up. She decided to embrace it. She didn't know what the future held for them or how much time they'd have left, so every moment from now, was precious.

"So," she teased, "you're finally proving you can actually cook. Those pancakes were the best I've had in a while. In decades, perhaps."

"See? I told you the day I almost set the penthouse on fire was an accident."

Pushing the tray aside, Kamilah was suddenly on top of her, planting soft kisses on her neck, while her hands cherished the softness of Amy's skin.

"Whoa," the girl grinned, "you still need your real breakfast, right?"

"Actually," Kamilah remembered the last time she fed, "thinking of this kind of breakfast makes me feel sick right now."

"I'm sorry," Amy noticed her expression changed, "I forgot…"

"But there's something I really want right now."

"What is it?"

"To show you a  _small_  surprise I bought you."

She smiled, planning to finally take Amy to the house in the Hampton


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.
> 
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.
> 
> \- My apologies again for the late update. My life is chaotic right now but I don't intend to give up on this fic. Please be patient, as soon as I can it'll be updated weekly again. I hope a longer chapter can compensate my absense ;)
> 
> \- Trigger warning for Priya’s past. It may contain some sensitive content. Part of it was inspired by this headcanon:  
> https://the-council-of-new-york-vampires.tumblr.com/post/180453571003/i-would-definitely-want-the-priya-fic-its-gonna
> 
> \- Smut Alert!

**_Amy_ **

“I’m going to kill him.”

If there was one thing Amy wasn’t good at, it was acting. She still tried to act surprised when Kamilah drove them to the Hamptons’ house and started to ask if she’d like to have it for their wedding party, or even permanently, but her ‘ _whoa_ ’ wasn’t convincing enough.

“You didn’t like it,” Kamilah sighed in disappointment.

“No,” she fixed. “It’s just… I’ve been here before. With Lysimachus.”

After telling her fiancée about how she found out about the house and how her twin brother invaded it, Kamilah was extremely angry.

“Hey,” Amy went behind her, massaging her tense shoulders, “I loved it and this is what matters. Really, Kamilah. I could spend the rest of my life here with you.”

The female vampire’s expression finally softened. She was still disturbed, Amy knew. The whole drive was silent and while she was focused on the road, her eyes seemed distant. It shouldn’t be easy to face Gaius again after almost a century. After betraying him. Kamilah hadn’t told her details of the encounter, but she had a feeling, a intuition, that he had tortured her badly.

“So…” she tried to lighten her mood, “now we have this house all for us, which part should we try first? We have a nice bar, a giant swimming pool, four bedrooms…”

“A walk on the beach is fine for me,” Kamilah replied.

Amy agreed.

After minutes walking together on the shoreline, holding hands and feeling the waves crashing against their bare feet, they picked somewhere to sit. They contemplated the ocean in silence for a moment, before Amy pulled Kamilah for a kiss. A soft and gentle kiss. She still hadn’t felt her fiancée’s lips after coming home. After thinking she would never be able to cherish them again, because she almost died in Wright’s crazy ritual.

“I have something to tell you,” she spoke. “It’s about the historical fair.”

Kamilah stared at her for a second before rolling her eyes.

“If you say you’re going back to London, I…”

Amy couldn’t help laughing.

“I mean it, that teacher has a master’s degree in manipulation.”

“She  _had_ , indeed. She’s dead, Kamilah.”

“Oh.”

“She was lying the entire time about the fair. It was a trap to force me to join her cult.”

“I knew there was something wrong about her! She didn’t force you to do anything, did she? Because some of these cults can evoke some real dark forces.”

“Actually, I was the sacrifice to her goddess.”

“God, Amy… H-How did you…”

“I believe destiny really want us to get married. Lysimachus happened to be at the right place, in the right time. He saved my life.”

“I…” Kamilah didn’t know what to say. It shocked more than she already was. While she processed the information, Amy hugged her tightly, resting her head on her shoulder.

“I’m just so thankful I have another chance of being here with you.”

She didn’t told it yet. She just couldn’t find words to tell Kamilah she was the First Vampire’s descendant. The one that was supposed to bring her back to life. Did her feelings or their connection had anything to do with that? She wasn’t sure. Conflicted, she decided to keep the information for the right moment.

\----------

**_Lysimachus_ **

He was working on a project for Raines Corporation but his eyes wouldn’t leave the page lying on the table. That mysterious symbol, he could almost remember seeing it before, engraved somewhere. But he had been alive for 2064 years, it wouldn’t be an easy task to remember. He rested his back on the chair and let out a weary sigh.

Priya passed through his office door, grunting with her cell phone in hands.

“Bastards!”

“Do you ever do anything else other than complaining?”

“I’ve got trouble, Hunter. Trouble you wouldn’t understand.”

“Is it the gossip website again? I’m not hacking it another time to remove your…  _compromising_  pictures.”

“Those were fake! My features are way better than that and you know it. Anyways, that doesn’t come to the case…”

“What’s the matter?” He sighed and crossed his arms to hear, expecting it to not having any murder situation involved.

“You know, since I’ve been off the media lately, it has been raising a lot of questions. Now, my agent is forcing me to attend this party tonight.”

“Since when this is a problem to you?”

“I need a date and literally no one is available.”

She watched him in silence, expecting an answer. Lysimachus didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like he could recommend her any celebrities or high society personalities to attend the party as her date. Then he realized…

“No. The answer is no.”

“I’ll pay you for it.”

“I don’t need money.”

“Then, what do you want?”

“Hmmm,” he was pensive for a moment, trying to figure out something Priya would never accept. “I accept under one condition.”

“Tell me your price.”

“You’ll be doing something nice for once.”

“Like…” she seemed puzzled, “donating money for charity? Adopting a stray puppy? That’s easy.”

“No,” Lysimachus protested. “I want you to do something spontaneous. You know, not because you’re being forced, but because you want to. Something that shows you actually have a heart.”

“Go to hell,” she whined, walking back to the living room. “I’ll find some random mortal on Bleeder.”

He followed. She was deeply focused between finishing the last adjustments for wedding dresses and the release her Spring collection. Priya was passionate about her career, that he couldn’t deny. It was possibly the only thing she truly loved.

“You’ve outdone yourself with these dresses, congratulations.”

“I know,” she grinned, proud of her creations. “Also, Kamilah is paying me handsomely for them.”

That was a good opportunity to try to explore her mind. Speaking of her work, she could reveal a little of who she truly was.

“You’re talented,” Lysimachus complimented. “It’s uhhh… been only fifteen years since you officially started your label?”

“That’s correct, but you know… being vampires, we always need to confuse the media, so I answer ten in most of my interviews.”

“And for how long have you been a fashion designer?”

She was silent for a brief moment, as she was reliving a memory. A small smile appeared in the corners of her mouth.

“Since I was born, I think.”

That was the answer Lysimachus wanted. Finally something honest, with feelings.

“Oh, how was it like back in India? Did women wear some sophisticated sari with your name written all over it?”

The smile faded away from her face.

“It’s none of your business, Hunter. Now listen, will you help me or not?”

As he advised her himself, “ _always find out your target’s weaknesses_ ”. He had just found the right spot. He only needed to know how to access it.

“Okay, you win. I’m going with you to the party.”

\----------

**_Kamilah_ **

It had been almost ten minutes Kamilah had locked herself inside the restaurant’s toilet. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her fangs were still exposed, as well as her red eyes.

To feed from that group of mortals, she had to let her instincts take control. She wouldn’t be able to do that consciously. Now, after ingesting such a large amount of blood, her thirst was out of control. While they were eating, she couldn’t focus on anything else but the beating hearts around her, their jugulars, the sound of the blood running inside their veins… including Amy’s. She looked at her fiancée and she desired her in a different mode. She wanted to please her, to make her scream her name and beg, beg for more… beg for her life, as her fangs sank into her neck and sucked until the last drop of blood.

Gaius was turning her into a monster again and she didn’t even notice. The hypnosis wasn’t needed, he was already inside her head.

“ _Kamilah?_ ” She heard Amy’s voice coming from outside. “ _Is everything alright?_ ”

Amy. Her Amy. Was she still capable of loving her the same way? What if she lost control? She could seriously injury her or worse.

“Open the door, please.”

She inhaled deeply, focusing her thoughts on something else. Ahmanet Financial. Nothing could make her forget about the world as her company. If she managed to control her hunger through the centuries, she could do it again.

When she opened the door, she was her recomposed self again.

“Sorry, I was fixing my make up,” she walked away before Amy could question.

Back to their house, she grabbed her laptop and pretended to be focused. She needed to avoid Amy as much as possible. At some point the girl would want to get intimate and it’d lead to a tragic outcome.

“What are you doing?” Amy placed herself next to her on the couch, with a bucket of popcorn. “You’ve been acting weird since lunch.”

“My apologies, Amy. I… I forgot these information I was supposed to have sent to my lawyers and I was afraid it was too late, but I’m working on it right now.”

“Anything I can help? I’m still your assistant.”

“Not really, it’s just very complicated.”

“Okay.”

The girl started to text Lily and as she was distracted, Kamilah could examine the pictures she took of Lysimachus’ book. She had absolutely no idea how to translate that.

“Lawyers, huh?” Unnoticed, Amy came back from the kitchen and stopped behind her. “This is the ritual Lysimachus and Lily have been studying. The one to kill Gaius.”

“Amy,” it was becoming harder to keep things from her fiancée. She always managed to find a way to figure out when she wasn’t well.

“Kamilah, it’s okay to share your concerns and feelings with me. I mean, we’re getting married. It shouldn’t be a problem anymore. Unless…”

The girl studied her face for a few seconds before raising her eyebrow.

“Unless you’re planning something stupid. You’re not planning to do this on your own, are you?”

She rolled her eyes, wondering if Amy was having those visions about her life again.

“Amy, speaking of a fight against Gaius, it’s clear not all of us are going to survive. People will die and I don’t want it to be Lysimachus… or  _you_.”

“How many of you did he kill, back in the twenties, when you put him in the sarcophagus?” Amy sighed.

“None, but only because I intervened.”

“But you couldn’t have done it yourself! You only stabbed him because he was distracted fighting the others.”

Kamilah rolled her eyes again. It was hard to admit Amy was right.

“Why don’t we join them and help with their plan? Trust me, it’s the best we can do.”

Amy placed her hand on hers and she admitted defeat. Even though Priya was part of the plan, it was more reasonable and safe than fighting Gaius alone.

\----------

**_Amy_ **

Despite Amy’s best attempts, Kamilah was avoiding physical contact or any interaction that could lead to intimacy.

“Is there something wrong with me or…” she showed Lily her body and face through a video call.

Maybe Kamilah was too stressed to think about it, but then, for what purpose she brought her to stay in that house for a couple of days, if they weren’t supposed to spend time together?

“ _Uhh... maybe she’s attached to old traditions? I mean, save it for after the wedding?_ ” Lily suggested.

Amy muffled a laugh.

“I don’t think that’s the case. Anyways I should go, I have a sexy vampire CEO to seduce. Bye.”

She walked to the living room, wearing a sexy nightdress she bought in London. One she knew Kamilah would be able to resist. She bit her lower lip playfully as she spotted the female vampire in the living room, where she was waiting for her to watch a movie.

"What is my gorgeous fiancée doing?" She asked to make her presence to be noticed.

"Amy," Kamilah said, before turning around to face her, "I swear this was the longest shower you've ever..."

She turned around and stopped, astonished by her special outfit.

"I was preparing you a little surprise. Did you like it?"

"I-It looks...  _nice_."

"Really?" Amy rolled her eyes. " _Nice_  is the best word you can use to describe it?"

"No, actually I can find multiple other adjectives to express how much I liked it."

"So," Amy wrapped her arms around her neck and whispered in her ear, "tell me."

“Amy,” Kamilah carefully pushed her away, “this may not be a good idea at the moment.”

Amy threw herself at the couch and sighed frustrated, wondering if after being distant for so long Kamilah had stopped desiring her.

“It has nothing to do with you,” the female vampire spoke. “It’s about me.”

“Gaius?” Amy asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Kamilah shook her head in denial.

“After ingesting such a large amount of blood my thirst is out of control.”

“Oh, so that’s the problem. I mean, you’ve controlled it before, you can control it again.”

“Does that make you relieved?” Kamilah frowned. “Amy, it turns me into a monster! At the same time I want you, I want to drink until the last drop of blood in your body.”

After thinking for a while, Amy found an easy solution. She brushed off her hair from her shoulder, exposing her neck.

“Do it,” she ordered. “Feed from me. You'll never know if you don't try it.”

“Did you hear what I just told you? I’m going to kill you.”

“You won’t. I know it.”

“Amy...”

“It’s in your head, Kamilah. You’re letting Gaius manipulate you again, can’t you see it? You’re not a monster. Please, let me prove this to you.”

She stood up again, approaching Kamilah and pressing her lips on the vampire’s. As she slipped her tongue inside Kamilah’s mouth, she stopped her.

“Then let’s get you a stake first. In case I don’t stop, you can...”

“Kamilah,” Amy silenced her with her index finger, “stop.”

She turned around, exposing her jugular again. Kamilah held her close, Amy could feel her heart racing inside her chest. She nervously traced her neck, finding the right spot to feed.

“Are you sure?” Kamilah asked.

“More than sure,” Amy placed her hand where hers was lying, on her belly.

Kamilah slowly sank her fangs into her jugular, drawing small sips of her blood. Amy could sense how insecure she was, as if she was holding back her thirst, her desire, everything... and the girl was determined to get more. She grabbed Kamilah’s hand, guiding it to her inner tights.

She moaned in pleasure as Kamilah started to give her exactly what she wanted, what made the vampire deepen the bite.

Amy never felt a similar pleasure in her life before. Kamilah’s fingers moving inside her, along with the pleasure from the bite. She felt like her entire body was on fire. Kamilah suddenly stopped.

“That’s enough, I’ve drank enough of your blood.”

“No,” Amy protested. “You usually take more than that.”

“I feel I’m slipping out of my control.”

“You’re not. I promise you.”

“In this case,” Kamilah looked at her and a devilish grin appeared on her face.

Using her vampire special skills, she ripped off Amy’s nightdress.

“I thought you had liked it,” Amy complained.

“I thought you were used to my ways of showing it.”

Kamilah’s mouth was suddenly on hers, kissing her hungrily, fiercely... then she moved down to Amy’s neck, tracing her jugular with her tongue.

“Hmmm, I’ve had enough of  _this_ ,” she sank down to her knees, leaving Amy with a confused look on her face.

She softly pressed her fangs against Amy’s inner tights, leaving a small, shallow cut. The swipe of her tongue, cleaning the blood over the mark, made Amy’s entire blood tremble. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of ecstasy as Kamilah bit her a little harder, drawing some more blood.

Amy was about to reach climax when the female vampire stopped, healing the bite with her fingertips.

“Why did you... oh!” Amy had no time to finish her question, Kamilah moved her mouth to her most sensitive spot of her body, sending her into bliss.

After she finished, Amy’s legs were weak and her mind a little lightheaded and foggy.

“Now you know how much I liked it.”

Between pants, the girl let out a smile.

\-----------

**_Kamilah_ **

It was late night and Kamilah couldn’t force herself to sleep. Though she was relieved to know her thirst was remained under control, she was lying still, staring at the ceiling. She wondered if she and the others would even survive the next few weeks. Or days. Gaius was planning something big and, unless she was able to earn his trust again, she wouldn’t be part of it this time. The sound of her cell phone vibrating on the nightstand made her body stiffen even more. It was Harvey.

After going to the balcony, she finally answered.

“What do you want?” She asked. “I’m in the middle of something.”

“ _Recruiting new members, I hope_ ,” the voice on the other side replied. " _The King isn't pleased after what your stupid brother did_."

"I haven't spoke to my brother in days. I have no idea of what he's doing."

" _After you gave him ownership over your clan, he sent all of the members to different parts of the country, looking for our King._ "

Kamilah smirked. Her twin brother hadn't lost his skills over the century. Behind this act, he should be trying to make it difficult for Gaius to get new servants.

" _I mean it, Kamilah. You better find some new members to our army, he's furious at you._ "

The last words made Kamilah's heart pound, but she couldn't show it.

"I'll see what I can do," she lied. "Just give me some time."

" _We have no time. He wants to see you, in three days._ "

Three days. Gaius demanded to see her urgently. If he was furious, he'd probably punish her. If only she was able to finish him before that... As anger took control of her body, she was ready to throw her cell phone away, when a loud, frightened scream came from inside the bedroom.

"Amy," she shouted.

In less than a second she was back to her fiancée's side. The girl was sitting on the bed, her skin was pale and her eyes were wide in fear.

"You scared me, what's wrong?"

"I-I..." she took a moment before being able to say anything. "The visions, Kamilah. I saw her... Keaseth."

"Who?!"

"The First Vampire. Her name is Keaseth."

Kamilah sat by her side in bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a assuring manner.

"Amy, she's only a myth. We're not even sure she really existed."

"She exists, Kamilah!" Amy raised her voice. "Asleep, inside a coffin in some underground temple in London. To wake her up, I must offer my life in sacrifice because I'm her descendant. The one she assigned the mission."

The girl buried her face in Kamilah's chest and started to sob.

"S-She's calling for me... but I can't... I can't..."

"This is insanity. Whatever that teacher has tormented your mind with isn't true, Amy! She was a psycho that created a baseless theory. This isn't true!"

"Lysimachus has the manuscripts. It's real, Kamilah. Everything is there, Keaseth instructions, a genealogy map that leads to me... It's true. I can ask him to show you."

Kamilah got up from the bed and started pacing around the room. It couldn’t be true. That teacher should’ve invented it all to lure Amy into her own interests. But somehow it explained Amy’s visions. How she could, somehow, have access to hers, Lysimachus and Adrian's past.

“This isn’t why I love you,” Amy tried to explain between tears. “In the beginning I was confused. I thought I only felt attracted to you because I’m related to The Frist Vampire, but it’s not...”

“Amy...” Kamilah gave her a comforting hug. “This thought never crossed my mind. I... The only thing I fear is for your life. If you’re really her descendant it makes your blood powerful, special. A lot of vampires could try to use it in their advantage. But... I’ll protect you.”

Amy finally opened a smile and hugged her back.

“Amy, as you know, under the current circumstances it’s impossible for us to have a moment of pure joy and peace, so... we have to go. Gaius is requesting to see me and we need to discuss our plan.”

“Kamilah, oh my god. Y-You don’t have to go. We'll find another way.”

“Yes, I do. While we can’t figure out a way to kill him, I can’t blow up my cover.”

“Actually...” Amy jumped out of the bed, looking for her phone.

“What are you doing?” Kamilah was confused.

“I’m calling Lysimachus, I just remembered where I saw the last symbol.”

\----------- 

**_Lysimachus_ **

“Boring,” Priya lamented. “Everything suddenly started to feel boring and I don’t know why! Maybe I’m getting old, like Kamilah.”

“No,” Lysimachus added. “You’re absolutely right. That party was one of the most boring events I ever attended. I'm glad we left."

He still couldn’t believe how far he had went on his plan to find out about Priya’s past. He could have gone to the Shadow Den to help Lily or hang out with Jax. For what purpose he was trying to know her better? She would never change. She only agreed to be part of the plan because of her own interests: protection, power and strength. If Gaius offered her an opportunity to obtain more power, she’d surely accept.

“ _We aren’t even friends…_ ” Lysimachus though, “ _or are we?_ ”

As Priya would always say, they were friends with benefits, without the friends part. Only the benefits.

“Than, let's have fun!” She complained, splashing him some water. "We didn't come here to chat."

“Okay..."

They were both in the swimming pool at Priya's house, with a few bottles of vodka he stole at the event's bar. All he had to do was to find a way to make her talk.

"We could play a game," he suggested. "Truth or Dare?"

"Come on, Hunter. This is so last century! Though it could be fun if only picked ' _dare_ '."

Her hand softly stroke his naked chest, when she suddenly stopped.

"I'm not sure I'm in the mood for this either."

Lysimachus observed confused as she left the swimming pool and wrapped a towel around her body.

"Priya, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

"Why do you assume it's about you?" Her face turned into a frown.

"I'm not assuming anything! You've been acting weird since this morning."

"You assume a lot of things."

He detected a hint of sadness in her voice.

“What are you talking about?”

“Stop playing dumb, Hunter. I saw you creeping on my bedroom. You don’t think I’m worthy your trust.”

“Priya, this is not...”

“I’m done with you.”

For the first time since they met, he could tell she was somehow hurt.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to know more about you, about your past.”

His words made her turn around and face him again.

“Why?” She clenched her fists in anger. “Why was that supposed to matter? Why would you like to know about...  _that_!”

Carefully, he took her hands in his and noticed she was shaking.

“Sometimes it’s easier if you just let it go. I mean, look at me. Everything I did, everything I built my entire life... it was a lie. My sister was so alive as I was.”

She walked away from him, sitting by the pool’s edge, where she started to play with the water using her hands. After a few minutes in silence she finally spoke.

“Life wasn’t always a piece of cake for me, Hunter. Back in India, I belonged to the people they call ‘ _the untouchable_ ’, ‘ _the impure_ ’. We lived like rats! In a secluded and small rural property, where my parents did the most degrading work to feed me and my four siblings.” 

During his travels to India, Lysimachus heard about that group of people. Excluded from the caste system, they lived under inhumane rules.

“I was the youngest child and the only one to not accept that life,” Priya continued. “As a little girl, I started to collect pieces of fabric that were discarded and sew them together to make myself beautiful clothes. Clothes I’d never be allowed to have.”

She approached him again, taking a sip from her bottle to prepare for what she was going to tell next.

“When my father died, my mother fell seriously ill. We needed to bring home some money, but I’d never submit myself to dirty work, such as working with garbage and dejects. So, I went even dirtier.”

"Priya, oh my god...” Lysimachus ran his hand through his hair, not knowing exactly what to say upon that information.

“What do you think upper caste women did when they found out their husbands were sleeping with an ‘ _untouchable_ ’? One night, they set my family’s house on fire. I wasn’t home, so I was the only one to survive.”

“It’s enough,” he told, squeezing her hand, but she was fixated in the memories. Memories she probably suppressed for over a century. Some tears started to run across her cheeks.

“With the money I had I fled to France, seeking for a better life. I was naive, Hunter. Too naive. Soon, I was back to my old habits. Until the day this rich guy I was dating got fed up of my expensive taste. He called a little friend of his and the two of them attempted to get rid of me, not before having fun one last time, of course.”

“Priya…"

"I was weak, almost dead, when somebody came to my rescue,” she didn’t let him speak. “A thirsty, disgusting vampire. I attempted to scream while he fed from what was left of me. After drinking my whole blood, he thought I was too young and pretty to die, so he Turned me.”

“You don’t even know who’s your maker.”

“No, I was on my own. Until a woman saved me. She owned a brothel. She let me stay there, where I was allowed to feed from her and her girls. In trade, I’d create clothes for their night shows and protect them from the nasty clients. That was my favorite part. Anyways, when she died, some of the girls wanted to come to America, where they hoped they’d find what they were searching for, so I came too.”

“And did you find it? What you were looking for?”

“More than that,” she finally opened a mischievous grin, “he gave me what I  _needed_.”

“Who?”

“No one,” she finished her bottle and wiped the last few tears from her face. “He’s gone now. It doesn’t matter.”

Lysimachus stood up and involved her in a protective embrace. Everything suddenly made sense, her houseboys, the way she treated mortals… she was taking revenge for how she was treated in the past. Being used, abused, broken.

"You don't have to do this," he stroked her soft hair. "You're hiding behind this character you created to mask your pain. I know what I'm saying, this is exactly what I did being a Vampire Hunter."

“No, you have no idea of what you're saying,” she angered. “I shouldn’t have told you any of this! Now you know my weaknesses, you’re going to use it against me!”

“Priya,” Lysimachus held her still, looking into her eyes. “God, I would never use it against you. You can trust me, I promise.”

“But… now you know, it changes everything. You better keep a distance.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

For a moment, she seemed open, vulnerable. Their lips were almost touching when Priya took a step back.

“I need to stay alone for a while.”

Respecting her wish, Lysimachus went to the Shadow Den and left her alone in his apartment. Lily had important news to tell him.

“Amy told me she remembers seeing the mysterious symbol at Wright’s office and temple.”

“So that was where I saw it too.”

“Anyways, after studying it for hours I came to a conclusion,” Lily seemed worried somehow. “It’s a junction of other symbols: this one for ritual, the one for blood or descendant and this one... means sacrifice.”

“A-Are you telling me…”

“In order to kill what the First Vampire created, you must execute the ritual and offer her descendant as sacrifice.”

“You mean…”

“To kill Gaius, we must kill Amy too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: When a meeting with Gaius goes wrong, somebody will be facing a tragic outcome. Stay tuned!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.  
> \- Things have went as planned this week, so here’s a regular update for ya :)  
> \- MxF Smut Scene Warning! As in Chapter 5, I added a warning, so if you’re not interested, you can just skip this part without affecting the understanding of the chapter.

**_Kamilah_ **

“ _Kamilah,_ ” the voice from the other side of the audio device said, “ _it’s not even midnight yet. This is your third drink._ ”

Kamilah rolled her eyes. Her brother didn’t know what she was going through. No one did. She was the one who was about to meet Gaius in only a few minutes, without any idea of how he was going to act.

She was also by herself. After going home, back from the Hamptons, she was willing to hear Lysimachus’ plan. For her surprise, there was no plan at all.

“ _After you meet him, Priya is doing her part and… we’ll trap him inside the sarcophagus again._ ” 

_“What do you mean?! That I’ve been risking myself for nothing?!” Kamilah angered inside her brother’s home office._ _“What about the book?” She wanted to know._

_“It was all fake,” her brother told. “A bunch of crap some amateur witch wrote in the past. There’s no ritual.”_

_Kamilah closed her eyes and sighed deeply._

_“So that’s the big plan? We put him back in the sarcophagus until someone, like that one in your living room, decides to betray us and set him free?”_

_“If that makes you feel any better, we can hide him somewhere safe, where only the two of us will know.”_

Lysimachus secretly followed her to Gaius’ hideaway, listening and communicating with her through a high-technology equipment. He also gave her a powerful weapon to defend herself, in case things went wrong.

“I’m gonna need a lot of alcohol before meeting that son of a bitch,” she was sitting at a table in the Midnight Lounge, with her third drink in hands.

“ _Are you sure you’re ready for this?_ ”

“I have to be,” she took one long sip, “not only for me. But for Amy, if he finds out about her… well, I need to keep her safe.”

While she reminisced about her times in Italy and a past lover, that now she was sure Gaius was involved in the assassination, she ignored what her brother was saying. All she could think about was how determined she was to get what she wanted: to know Gaius’ plans and use it to defeat him.

“ _Sister?_ ” His voice called her back to reality. “ _Are you listening?_ ”

“Yes, my apologies. I got distracted.”

“ _Do you think you can make it quick? Uhhh… there’s somewhere else I was supposed to be._ ”

“You’re not seeing it, but I’m rolling my eyes!” Kamilah growled, knowing what he meant. “Serious, brother? Priya’s fashion show?”

“ _I promised her._ ”

Kamilah didn’t answer. Although she didn’t want to admit, or even accept it, she knew her brother was falling for Priya. And she knew Priya was unable to develop any kind of affection for another being, except for her dogs, perhaps.

“Whatever,” she finally replied. “I didn’t ask you to come with me in first place. I can do it by myself.”

After a moment of silence between the twins, the clock struck midnight and it was time for Kamilah to go. Gaius would be waiting for her.

“I must go now.”

“ _Sister? I love you._ ”

“I love you too, brother.”

She entered the door in the back of the bar like the last time, where the gruesome competition  _Mortals vs. Vampires_  took place for another night. She followed her way, avoiding to pay much attention. As she followed to the basement, Harvey was already waiting for her.

“Well well, I was starting to think you wouldn’t show up,” her former clan member teased.

“I thought you knew me enough to know I always keep my word.”

“You never truly know someone, Kamilah. That’s something you taught me.”

“ _Ignore him,_ ” Lysimachus suggested. “ _He’s testing you._ ”

Her twin brother was working on a counter-spell to break the hypnosis. Kamilah only hoped it’d be before she lost her patience completely and killed Harvey with her own hands. In her vampire form, she only looked at the male vampire in a threatening manner. Letting him know she was still in charge. 

“I suppose you have a good explanation to your brother’s stupid move, Kamilah,” Harvey insisted.

“Oh please, I owe you no explanations. I’m here to see Gaius.”

She barely finished her sentence when an ancient figure emerged from darkness.

“Harvey, how dare you to bother My Queen?”

Kamilah felt a lump on her throat as Gaius started coming in her direction. A shiver went through her entire body. A feeling of weakness and insecurity took control of her mind.

“G-Gaius.”

“Hello, My Queen.”

She had no time to say anything else, Gaius hand gripped around her neck as he lifted her off the ground.

“Tell me, Kamilah. Tell me Harvey is wrong about you. You didn’t have anything to do with your brother’s move, did you?”

She gasped, attempting to breath and answer his question, but she couldn’t. She shook her head in denial.

“No?” Gaius asked, loosening a little bit the grip around her throat.

“N-No,” Kamilah spoke, with some difficult. “I… I haven’t spoke to… Lysimachus in… days…”

When Gaius finally let her go, she felt on her knees. He kneeled right in front of her, lifting up her face to look straight in her eyes.

“Hmmmm,” he smiled. “She’s telling the truth. I told you, Harvey. My Queen will always be loyal to me.”

Kamilah took a moment to breath and regain her strength. Looking at her surroundings, she noticed Jameson was nowhere to be seen. As well as the other thralls. 

“ _Sister, are you alright?_ ” Lysimachus asked, through the audio device. “ _Please, say something._ ”

“I thought we were having a meeting,” she spoke. “Where are the others?”

“Anya is upstairs, observing our potential candidates who have joined Mortals vs. Vampires. Jameson… is taking care of something else.”

“What about Nate? You must have figured out at this point that he’s good at disobeying rules.”

“Not here, my Queen. Nate has been a loyal soldier, this is why I gave him the night to do what he likes the most, having fun.”

There was something wrong behind Gaius’ grin and Kamilah needed to figure out what it was.

“ _Suspicious much?_ ” Lysimachus asked. “ _Call it a night, sister. Let’s go home and figure out what they’re up to._ ”

Ignoring her brother’s advice, she decided to proceed with her own plan.

“I’m thirsty,” she announced.

“Why didn’t you say it earlier, My Queen. I have some mortals…”

“Alcohol, I mean.”

Sitting down, she waited until a hypnotized waiter came downstairs bringing a bottle of whiskey. She examined the bottle and smiled.

“Playing to my tastes, My Love? It seems like you haven’t forgotten what I appreciate.”

“How could I, My Queen?” The ancient vampire approached, caressing her cheek as if he was going to pull her for a kiss.

“There’s something missing,” Kamilah took a step back, grabbing the mortal waiter by the arm and sinking her fangs deeply into his neck.

Gaius watched everything amused.

“ _Kamilah, stop,_ ” Lysimachus ordered. “ _You don’t have to take it so far._ ”

Indeed. But to defeat Gaius she was willing to go until the last consequences. As she felt the mortal was getting weak, she healed his neck and let him go.

“Kamilah doesn’t kill anymore,” Harvey provoked again. “She only feeds from domesticated mortals.”

“And so do you. It’s the price we pay to live in peace among mortals.”

“This is wrong, My Queen,” Gaius shook his head, looking somehow upset. “You should be ruling this city like the Goddess you are, not being submissive to mortals.”

“I prefer this way. Rather than spending my life running away or hiding after leaving a trail of bodies behind.”

“My beloved Kamilah… I fear that this years away from your King made you forget who you truly are. Your true nature. We’ll have to fix it, but first… I’m looking forward to hear the news you brought me.”

Kamilah handed him a folder Lysimachus gave her, containing false information about The Council members.

“This file contains the latest information about the other members of The Council. Their usual routine, their current businesses, their schedule for the next days… I assume it’s useful to your plans.”

Gaius examined the papers, reading carefully every line.

“This is amazing, My Queen. I suppose it’s not being easy for you to spend time with those traitors! There’s one thing you’ve got wrong though.”

“W-What is it?” For a second, Kamilah feared he had found out about their plans.

“Priya Lacroix’s fashion show is tonight. Not tomorrow.”

“A-Are you planning to kill her, my King?” She asked, with a false grin on her face.

“Not yet,” Gaius sat down to explain his plans, “first we must destroy what she loves the most, her career, her popularity. How about a big explosion on her little show, where thousands of mortals would be injured? What would the journalists say? Especially when the blame falls on Priya herself? She will be lonely, vulnerable and then… I’ll crush like the insect she is! And this is nothing, compared to what I’ll be doing to the rest. The Baron, Lester and especially,“ he clenched his fists in pure anger, “Adrian.“

———-

_**Amy** _

Amy let out a frustrated grunt as she checked her phone again, something she had been doing a lot for the last few hours.

“Amy,” Lily paused her game to look at her, “checking your phone every five seconds won’t bring Kamilah home sooner.”

“I know. I just wanted to know if she’s alright. She promised to call me as soon as the meeting was over.”

She was trying to act strong, for her own sanity. She tried to avoid thinking about everything that could go wrong in that meeting, how Gaius could torture Kamilah or even kill her, if he found out she wasn’t hypnotized. Kamilah also asked her to stay with Lily and Jax at the Shadow Den, where none of Gaius’ thralls would be able to locate her.

“I’m bored,” the girl complained. “I’d feel better if we could actually  _do_ something.”

“Amy! We  _are_  doing something, we’re shooting zombies!”

“Other than that. Like going out for a drink, that’s what I needed right now.”

“Kamilah ordered me to keep an eye on you and I’m not breaking my promise. You know how she’s like when she’s angry.”

“To be honest it isn’t  _that_  bad,” Amy let out a small laugh. “Not with me at least. She’s unable to be mad at me for too long. Come on, Lily…” she insisted. “If she finds out I’ll tell her it was my idea.”

“Fine,” Lily agreed. “But we’ll bring Jax with us. I think I may have something in mind.”

A few minutes later, she was inside a car with a blindfold in her eyes. She had no idea where Lily and Jax were taking her, but it should be fun.

“We’re almost there,” her best friend announced when they parked the car and she took her hand, guiding her to their destination.

When Lily finally removed the blindfold, Amy saw herself at a bar. A geek-themed bar. There were arcades, a band playing some rock music and a peculiar crowd.

“Whoa,” she exclaimed. “Where am I?”

“At the hottest spot for supernatural creatures in New York City,” Lily told.

“It was founded recently, by a Shadow Den member,” Jax completed. “And Lilly thought…”

“It’s the perfect place for your Bachelorette Party!”

While they accommodate themselves in a stand, Amy checked her phone again. Still no news of Kamilah.

“ _Bachelorette Party,_ ” she thought. “ _I don’t even know if there will be a wedding yet._ ”

A vampire waitress came, bringing them some drinks and snacks. Being aware of Amy’s presence, every detail had been prepared especially for her, with everything she liked the most.

“I can’t thank you enough, Lil. I really hadn’t planned anything yet.”

“But I had! And… Lysimachus asked Priya to organize a surprise Bachelorette Party for Kamilah too.”

“Oh my god! She’s going to be so  _thrilled_.”

Both she and Lily laughed, knowing Kamilah would never agree with the idea.

After a few shots she was finally more relaxed, observing Jax gathering with other members with the Shadow Den and Lily helplessly trying to beat a score at an arcade machine.

“Lil, you won’t be capable of doing that… not when you’re so drunk!”

“Amy, never underestimate my drunk skills!” She pressed a combination of buttons, that lead her to the next stage of the game. “Only one more.”

“Hey, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

“I… I feel you’re all hiding something from me. What’s with the plan to defeat Gaius? Kamilah seemed really pissed off about this morning and you change the subject everytime I mention it.”

“Amy, the truth is… there’s no ritual. It was a misunderstanding, that’s all. We’re back to the start, there’s no plan to defeat Gaius. I’m sorry.”

Quietly, she walked away back to her seat. With Gaius breathing on Kamilah’s neck it was a matter of time before he killed her, or hypnotized her for real. What about her? The ancient vampire would never admit somebody else to steal  _his_ Queen, especially a mortal. None of Kamilah’s past lovers ever survived for long. Most of them died in unusual circumstances.

When she checked her phone again, a notification of a new message on her voice mail gave her some hope. She went outside to hear.

“ _Amy, it’s me. Your mom. Listen, darling. I just saw the picture you posted on your Instagram. Bachelorette Party? Amy, there’s still time to give up on this madness. Do you realize what you’re doing to your life? What about your grandma? Her dream was to see you getting married in our church, she has been suffering so much. Why don’t you…_ ”

She pressed the delete button, refusing to listen to the rest of the message. When she headed back inside, a mysterious voice called for her:

“ _There are so many questions in your head right now, aren’t there, child?_ ”

“Huh?!” She looked around, not seeing where it was coming from.

“ _Near the bathroom, in the last stand._ ”

She looked at the direction indicated, seeing a hooded figure sitting at the table.

“ _I can answer all your questions._ ”

“What are you? A psychic?” Amy asked aloud.

“ _Not like this, Amy. Inside your mind. Telepathy._ ”

Amy froze. How did that mysterious person knew so much about her? Could it be someone from Wright’s cult? Anyways, she still felt some insecurity towards her special abilities.

” _Who are you and how do you know so much about me?“_ She decided to try, putting a lot of strength in this thought.

” _Calm down, my child. I’m a fellow supernatural friend, and we recognize each other. We can read each other._ “

“ _Then why can’t I read you?_ ”

“ _You haven’t trained your abilities enough yet._ ”

“ _Good point._ ”

Kamilah always warned her to be careful regarding her abilities and people who would eventually cross her path in New York. She should never completely trust anyone. There was a lot about the supernatural world she wasn’t ready to know yet.

“ _This is completely fine, Amy. You don’t have to trust me._ ”

The fact the mysterious figure was still reading her mind started to frighten her.

“ _But I see you’re worried… Kamilah is her name, isn’t it? I can tell you exactly where she is, and what she’s doing right now. Better yet, I can show you._ ”

Amy checked her phone again. There was still no signs of Kamilah. She sighed and started walking, headed to the stand where the hooded figure was sitting. She sat in front of them, yet she was unable to see their face.

“All right,” she spoke. “No more mind games. Just tell me how Kamilah is doing. I need to know.”

“ _Not like this, child,_ ” she heard again inside her head.

“Fine,” Amy grunted, before starting to speak telepathically. “ _Tell me where’s Kamilah._ ”

“ _Hmmmm…_ ” the figure was silent, pensive for a few seconds. “ _Her life may be in danger… she’s in the company of a dangerous someone… very dangerous…_ ”

“ _Oh my god! How is she? Is he doing something bad to her? Please, I have to know!_ ”

“ _I could show you but… I’ll need a little something._ ”

“ _What is it? I’ll do anything for Kamilah._ ”

“ _A few drops of your blood_ ,” the figure told. “ _Just prick your finger and drop it inside this recipient. Through the water, mixed with your blood, I’ll be able to show you where Kamilah is._ ”

Without thinking twice, Amy took the needle the mysterious person offered her and followed their instructions. After a few seconds, the water inside the small recipient start to form an image and like a movie screen, she started seeing a scene. Kamilah was leaving Gaius’ hideaway in a hurry, desperate to speak to her brother. She entered her car and started driving back to New York.

“ _She’s alright,_ ” Amy sighed relieved and smiled. “ _Thank you so much._ ”

“ _Anytime, my child. Until we meet again._ ”

As the figure disappeared through the door, Amy went meet Lily and Jax again. After all, she had a Bachelorette Party to enjoy. Soon, Kamilah would be back, safe and sound in their penthouse.

———-

_**Lysimachus** _

At full speed, Lysimachus drove back to New York City. Priya’s life was in danger, as well as her career and reputation. Gaius knew exactly where to hit her, how to make her weak and vulnerable for his final attack. A revenge for being part of the riot against him almost one century earlier.

All he could think about was his conversation with her in the morning…

_Three days had passed since Lysimachus had found out what he was supposed to do to kill Gaius. In order to destroy his greatest enemy, he’d have to destroy his sister’s heart, and that wasn’t even a possibility. He loved Amy as much as Kamilah. She was like a younger sister to him._

_"Hunter,” Priya’s voice interrupted his thoughts, “pass me the milk, dammit!”_

_“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I got distracted.”_

_“Distracted? You’ve been acting like a zombie.”_

_Priya laughed at her own comment as she poured the milk in her cereal bowl. Three days had also passed since she told him about her past. Nothing changed between them, except that she was pretending that night at her swimming pool never happened._

_“You look happy this morning,” he pointed. “You’re never happy so early.”_

_“Did you forget?!” Her face turned into a frown. “Hunter! How could you?”_

_“Oh, tonight is the debut of your Spring collection.”_

_“Of course! Will you be there or will you be on the hunt for some fresh brains to eat?”_

_“I’ll try my best but… I’m going with Kamilah to meet Gaius.”_

_She stopped eating and stared at him, looking concerned for a moment._

_“Well,” she shrugged, “if you make it alive, there will be an after-party in my house.”_

_“It’s not my thing,” he was very aware of what Priya’s after-parties were about. “It could be different, you know.”_

_His last words made her stop eating again._

_“We’ll need to talk about it eventually, Priya.”_

_“About what?” She asked in response, in an almost inaudible tone._

_“About the other night.”_

_“Sorry, I don’t talk about things I’ve said when I was drunk.”_

Those were the last words he heard from her mouth.

Only a few minutes. That had to be enough to prevent a tragedy.

Arriving at her club, he looked around, trying to spot any suspicious faces. Using a detector he developed, he could identify three bombs planted at different spots of The Crimson Veil and one of Gaius’ thralls should be responsible for detonating them.

The show had already started and the club was crowded. Near the catwalk he spotted a familiar face… Nate. Luckily the young vampire hadn’t seen him yet. He needed to be cautious, one wrong move and the bombs would be activated.

First, he sat at the bar, observing the teenage vampire from far. He impatiently checked his phone at every second, waiting for instructions. Lysimachus took a deep breath. Next time he got distracted, he’d act.

He approached a little, merging among the crowd. When Nate pulled his phone out of his pocket again, he chocked him with his arm and began to drag him away.

“My apologies,” Lysimachus explained to the curious looks people were giving him. “One of Priya’s most dangerous stalkers. But no panic, everything is alright.”

Outside the club, he dragged Nate to a near alley where he slammed him against the wall.

“Tell me, what were you planning?! What Gaius ordered you?!”

The younger vampire started to laugh sadistically.

“I only answer to one King.”

With one punch, Lysimachus knocked him down. In his pockets he found a cell phone, where he was chatting with Harvey, waiting for his signal to detonate the bombs. In his other pocket he found the detonator, that he immediately crushed it with his hand.

After carefully trapping unconscious Nate inside a car’s trunk, he returned to The Crimson Veil, making sure there was nobody else suspicious. When he looked at the catwalk again, he spotted Priya on the backstage. She saw him too. For his surprise, she opened a smile. Lysimachus smiled back.

Seconds later, his phone vibrated.

> _After-party is canceled. Meet you in my VIP room after the show._

He gave her a thumbs up and she winked in response.

———-

_**Kamilah** _

“ _Sister, I gotta go,_ ” Lysimachus announced. “ _H-He’s planning something against Priya… I must check. I’m so sorry._ ”

Betrayed. That’s how Kamilah felt when she heard the audio device being turned off as her brother left, back to New York. She was no longer a priority, even though her life could also be in danger. Even if Gaius could submit her to the most horrible things to prove her loyalty. Lysimachus swore he’d be there. He swore he’d protect her at any cost.

"Tell me, My Queen. Do you have any objections?”

“I couldn’t care less about Priya. We’ve only accepted her in The Council to keep her under control. Her behavior was a threat to our kind.”

She sat down at an old couch, Anya arrived, frustrated by the results of  _Mortals vs. Vampires_. What angered Gaius even more.

“That foolish boy! He ruined my plans of a perfect new kingdom.”

“My King,” Harvey suggested, “you can take Priya’s clan members after you destroy her.”

“Good point, but…” Gaius looked at her direction again, as if for a moment he had forgotten she was there. “Kamilah, in the files you brought me. There’s no information about him! Lysimachus.”

“My brother isn’t a threat to your plans at the moment, My Love. He splits his time between Adrian’s company and Priya. He has fallen in love with her and it’s a matter of time before she gets him killed.”

Gaius stared at her blankly for a moment, thoughtful.

“He even may be useful in the future, as I can easily convince him into joining us.”

“We’ll talk about it some other time,” he approached her, cupping her face into his hands again. “You can go now, My Queen. You’ve proven your loyalty once again. Harvey will call you in the next few days with new instructions.”

Gaius disappeared into darkness again, followed by Harvey and Anya.

While Kamilah was relieved to be safe and that she could return home to Amy, her intuition was speaking louder. Gaius had something in mind and she needed to find out. Hiding in a corner of the dark basement, he could hear his conversation with the thralls. Nothing too important, until something alarmed her.

“What?!” He yelled. “But how did he…”

As nobody else responded, Kamilah assumed he was talking over a phone.

“I don’t care, Jameson. Kill her, now! Let’s see how the boy will deal with the loss of his lover! I’m gonna crush them both with a single blow.”

Before her presence could be noticed, Kamilah left the bar immediately. In her car, as she drove away, she attempted to contact her brother.

“Out of signal,” she complained.

He should be inside Priya’s club.

Guilty, she hoped nothing happened to Lysimachus, or even Priya. Would he ever forgive her for telling Gaius about their relationship? Unconsciously, she had exposed his brother’s biggest weakness to the enemy.

———-

_**Lysimachus** _

Outside Priya’s VIP room, Lysimachus waited nervously. Canceling her after-party only to meet him could be a sign she was ready to leave some of old habits behind? That she was willing to forget her tragic past for something new?

“There you are,” she opened the door with a grin on her face. “Guess the meeting with Gaius wasn’t exciting enough, huh?”

“Uhhh,” not wanting to ruin her mood, he decided to wait before telling her the truth, “I’ll tell you later, it’s a long story. So, congratulations. Your new collection…  _snatched wigs_?”

“Shut up, Hunter! You’re too old for this.” Priya smiled and punched him slightly on the shoulder.

When Lysimachus’ eyes met hers, he noticed a difference. She looked happy, genuinely happy. Her happiness wasn’t hidden behind parties with houseboys or human blood this time.

“I have something for you,” he announced before taking a black velvet box from his jacket and handing it to Priya.

She immediately opened it and her eyes glowed in surprise.

“Only three pieces of this bracelet were produced in the world, and as I know you like to collect rare stuff.”

Priya went silent. She looked at him, then at the bracelet again, appearing anxious somehow.

“It’s uhh… stunning. But… why?”

Lysimachus took her wrist, closing the bracelet around it.

“This is what every girl deserves, after such an important night.”

She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. He could tell her cheeks blushed a little bit.

Giving her some time to breath, Lysimachus threw himself on a very comfortable armchair, finally remembering his sister was alone with Gaius. He should return, or at least go home and wait for news.

“So, why did you want to see me?” He asked, going straight to the point.

“I wanna have  _that_  conversation,” Priya quickly answered.

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“Well, Hunter. I have everything I always wished for and maybe more, but lately, it’s not being enough. It’s started to feel empty, lonely, pointless maybe… like if there was  _something_  missing.”

“And what’s missing?”

He got up, standing face to face with the fashion designer.

“I…” Before she could finish her sentence, a lot of voices started coming from the other side of the door. “Journalists,” she rolled her eyes. “Listen, wait for me outside. I’ll be there in a few minutes and we can finish this in your apartment.”

“Of course,” Lysimachus agreed. “It’ll give us more privacy.”

Outside, the first thing he did was to call Kamilah. As expected, she didn’t answer. He ran a hand through his hair nervously, wondering if she was safe.

Twenty minutes passed when her name finally appeared on his screen.

“Kamilah, thank god! I was starting to become worried…”

“ _Brother, where are you?_ ” She had a strange tone in her voice, a tone of desperation.

“At The Crimson Veil, outside. Why?”

“ _Gaius dismissed me, but I hid myself to listen to his plans. Brother, as soon as I left, Jameson called him to inform you prevented the explosion and…_ ”

“And what?!”

“ _He told him to kill Priya immediately._ ”

Lysimachus dropped his phone, rushing back inside the club and straight to Priya’s VIP room. Everything had been destroyed, the floor was covered with black blood and ashes, but she was standing there, holding the daggers he gave her during their training.

“Priya! Are you okay?”

“Yeah…” she answered between weary pants. “After the journalists left, somebody delivered a giant present box. I thought it could be a new houseboy but… a horde of disgusting Ferals. Don’t worry, our training was worthy, I’ve managed to kill them all.”

“Good,” Lysimachus let out a relieved sigh. “It was Gaius. God, when Kamilah called me and told me he ordered Jameson to kill you, I…”

“Shhhh,” the female vampire approached, silencing him with her index finger. “It’s over, Hunter.”

“I got worried. I-I… I care about you, Priya. I really do.”

She pressed a kiss on his lips, while her hands traveled through his toned abdomen and down to his waist, attempting to open his belt.

“We should go home first…”

“No,” Priya whispered in his ear before nibbling his earlobe. “I want you right here, right now.”

**———- MxF Smut Scene - If you don’t wanna read it, skip this part ———-**

Lysimachus agreed, kissing her again, more intensely this time. She drove him to a couch, where she pushed him violently and started to unzip his pants.

Smirking, he switched positions in an impressive speed. Priya wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer and placing her mouth on his again. As their tongues moved together on a fierce, frenzied mode, his hands went under her dress, finding her underwear and tossing it aside.

“Not today, Hunter,” suddenly Priya was on top, straddling him and removing what was left of their clothes.

Lysimachus gasped as he felt her warmth involving him. As she started moving on top of him, she dragged her long nails across his chest leaving deep red marks. Lost in pleasure, the male vampire gripped tightly on her hips, increasing the pressure and rhythm between them.

“Too rough?” He wanted to know.

“Hell no, it’s perfect,” she followed his pace.

Though they had done that a lot of times before, it felt different. More intimate. The way Priya occasionally stroked his hair or how she gently kissed and sucked his neck, drove him wild. Tired from the fight against Ferals, she reached climax first, but Lysimachus also didn’t take long.

**———- Ending of scene ———-**

As she laid on his chest, he wrapped an arm around her body, enjoying the feeling of finally being closer to the fashion designer. Lysimachus closed his eyes when something caught his attention, a familiar smell… blood.

“Priya, did you get hurt in the fight?” He asked, concerned.

“It’s was just a scratch. It’ll be gone soon.”

He looked down at her back, spotting a deep wound on her shoulder. Not any wound but... a bite. The skin around it was starting to become grey.

“Priya, y-you… you got bitten by a Feral.”

———-

_**Somewhere in New Jersey…** _

“Master, our suspicions were right. The girl is back,” Jameson announced, removing the hood he was wearing.

“Those are splendid news, Jameson.” Gaius grinned. “Were you able to confirm if she’s indeed  _The One_?”

“Yes, My King. A little persuasion trick and I was able to collect a sample of her blood. As we imagined, she’s Keaseth’s descendant.”

“Incredible. Soon, all the power her blood contains will be mine!”

“What about Kamilah, My King? Do you think she’ll consent with the plan?”

“Kamilah is wrapped around my finger again. Loyal as a puppy. Little does she know it’s only part of my revenge against her. Her heart will be crushed in a million pieces when I command her to sacrifice her lover.”

“And then we’ll break the hypnosis.”

“Exactly, Jameson. My Queen will be paying the highest of the prices for her betrayal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: What are Gaius’ plans for Amy? Meanwhile, Lysimachus has to face a difficult decision about Priya’s future. Stay tuned! 
> 
> Only 10 days until May! :D


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.  
> \- Things have went as planned again this week, so here’s another regular update for ya :)  
> \- Slight MxF Smut Scene Warning in the Flashback session! If you’re not interested, you can just skip this part without affecting the understanding of the chapter.  
> \- FxF Smut Alert!

_**Lysimachus** _

About thirty minutes earlier they were driving back home, in complete silence. A lot of thoughts and feelings consuming his mind. Never, in his 2064 years of life, he had seen a Vampire survive a Feral bite. It was an extremely painful death. Back on his days as a Vampire Hunter, he even extracted Feral's blood and injected it on Vampires, infecting them and watching as they went through the gruesome transformation, before killing them. It was one of his favorite torture methods.

When they entered his apartment, Priya gently grabbed his arm.

"It was nothing," she assured. "The bite was superficial, I'm not feeling a thing."

Lysimachus turned around to look into her dark brown eyes, for the first time since he spotted the wound on her shoulder. She was stunning, truly stunning. He still remembered seeing her on TV or magazines, prior their meeting. Or how Zoe would always grumble about never being able to afford a Lacroix outfit. He never cared. The Fashion world wasn't his thing. While he appreciated being well-dressed, the brands of his clothes never mattered, as long as they made him look sharp.

Until somebody, sold him the information Priya Lacroix was part of the infamous  _Council of New York_. The one group who could lead him to Gaius. For months he studied the Fashion Designer, following her steps on social media, until her VIP party in Amsterdam.

**\----- Flashback (slight smut, feel free to skip it) -----**

_"Show me what you got," she ordered him to remove every piece of clothing he was wearing. He learned she was so selective with potential houseboys as she was selective with her models._

_Following her command, Lysimachus was completely naked in front of her. She walked around him, examining his body features._

_"Hmmm, not very tall... Only 5'8". But..." she dragged her nails on his toned abdomen. "You've got a nice pack here."_

_Then she went behind him, grabbing his buttocks._

_"And here too."_

_Finally, she stopped in front of him, looking down at his crotch. She grinned._

_"Interesting... I'd like to see it on full-mode, if you don't mind."_

_"Being around you, it won't be a problem."_

_After showing her what she wanted to see, he had passed on another step of her test. But as he was informed, there was still a lot he’d have to prove to earn her approval._

_"Please yourself," she demanded._

_"As you wish."_

_She watched him with arms crossed, head cocked to the side. The manner he pleased himself and the amount of time he was taking to finish made a hint of satisfaction appear in her face._

_"Stop."_

_"Make me," he teased, knowing her tastes._

_She slapped him hard on the face and grabbed his hair violently, making him face her._

_"One final step, and you're mine."_

_With one move, she completely teared off her clothes._

_"You better give me the good stuff... or..."_

_"Or?"_

_She approached, whispering in his ear._

_"I'll kill you."_

_After extensive hours of rough, wild sex, he managed to impress her. No mortal could ever give her that experience. She had found someone of her level, of her tastes... she only didn't know he was a Vampire yet. Or a Vampire Hunter. But she was very close from finding out... Lysimachus smirked, as his eyes turned red and he exposed his fangs, ready to drink Priya's blood completely._

**\----- Flashback Ending -----**

That was 8 months before. In that period a lot had changed, especially recently, after knowing who she truly was. In front of him he could no longer see a wicked Vampire, but a broken girl. Who had been abused and humiliated, trying to heal her wounds through revenge. Giving men and women the same treatment she received. Deep down, she desired to be respected. And loved too.

He forced a smile, knowing what she was saying wasn't true. The bite went deep down her flesh. At this point the infection must be going through her veins, and soon, it'd reach her brain.

"I mean it, Hunter. I just need to feed and this thing will be healed," she insisted, reaching her purse. "I'm gonna find someone on  _Bleeder_  and..."

That was the last thing she said before collapsing. On the floor, her body started twitching on a strange manner. Her veins becoming more visible and her skin more pale.

"Priya!" He shouted, kneeling beside her and holding her in his arms. It was happening. She was becoming a Feral. "S-Stay with me. Talk to me... You need to stay conscious..."

He took her to his bed, placing her comfortably on his pillows.

"T-Tell me something about you... like, uhhh... when is your birthday?"

Through the excruciating pain she was feeling, she still managed to give him a small laugh.

"Why does it matter, Hunter?"

"Because... we'll throw you the hell of a party."

"November 6th," she answered. "But... it's 8 months from now... I-I won't make it."

"Of course you will!" Lysimachus held her face with one hand, while the other grabbed her cold, shaking hand. "I-I... I know a lot about magic and there's a cure for this. I'm gonna call my witch friend and soon you will be...  _snatching wigs_  again."

Priya fought a smile.

After feeding her a blood bag he had stocked on a freezer, he gave her a strong shot of painkillers and tranquilizers. Before falling asleep, Priya noticed a stake attached to his belt.

"Just do it, Hunter. Please let me die decently, gorgeous as I am. I don't wanna turn into a disgusting Feral."

"Hey," Lysimachus stroked her soft hair, before lying next to her, "that one was for the Vampires attacking your club, not for you. Why don't you rest now? I called my friend and she's on her way. We'll save you, I promise."

It was a lie, he knew, but she needed to feel secure, while he was willing to try everything, until the last moment. Killing Priya was not an option. Not right now.

With barely no more strength or control left, she squeezed his hand.

"I... trust... you..."

\----------

_**Kamilah** _

Kamilah had been locked in her home office for a while. She had a need of being alone. The first, but not her main concern, was Amy coming home late night, and drunk, after a night of fun with Lily and Jax. That wouldn’t have been a problem under another circumstances, but at that moment she needed to stay out of sight. Gaius had thralls observing each one of the clans and with that, he could easily figure out she was back from London.

Her main concern was Lysimachus. After driving straight to Priya’s club and not finding them, she headed back to her penthouse, where she started receiving multiple phone calls and texts from her brother. He was desperate for her help. Something had went terribly wrong.

_Answer me, please. I can’t lose two people I care about in the same night._

While she didn’t care for Priya’s life, she felt extremely guilty. Accidentally, she had told Gaius’ about her relationship with Lysimachus. Her brother had fallen in love, and being alive for over two millennia is more than enough to figure out that love is a weakness, that makes you vulnerable and fragile.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

“ _May I come in?_ ” Amy asked. “ _Please._ ”

Kamilah sighed and unlocked the door. Her fiancée came in, wearing a casual outfit after a cold shower, that helped to return to a more sober state of mind.

“I’m so sorry, Kamilah. I was bored and... I messed up, didn’t I?”

She took a deep breath, taking a moment to answer.

“Not as much as I did.”

“Why? You scolded me so much that I hadn’t even time to ask. How did the meeting go? Did Gaius do anything to you?”

“To me, no. But...”

She lowered her eyes, avoiding Amy’s gaze while she told her everything. Gaius’ plans for The Council members, Lysimachus reaction upon the attack to The Crimson Veil, her anger and finally, the possibly tragic outcome.

“Oh,” Amy looked somehow shocked. “Have you checked on them yet?”

“No,” Kamilah told. “How am I supposed to tell my brother I was responsible for whatever happened to Priya? She’s a heartless monster, Amy. But he cares about her, for some reason.”

“We should drop by his apartment. That’s the right thing to do.”

Kamilah agreed with a firm nod. Amy’s strength and confidence during moments of crisis impressed her sometimes. How could a mortal be so young and yet so decided and wise?

Minutes later she was sitting at her brother’s office, while he desperately put off books and papers from shelves and drawers, looking for anything that could prevent Priya from turning Feral.

“Brother,” she gulped. “I know you’ve spent a long time around witches but... I’ve never seen a Vampire that healed from a Feral bite.”

“We couldn’t go out in sunlight too, remember? Now we can. Because of Priya.”

Frustrated, he threw a chair against the wall, smashing it into a thousand pieces. 

“There’s got to be something...”

“Even if it does, at this point her entire body is infected! She’s a risk to all of us!”

“What do you suggest then, Kamilah?” Lysimachus slammed his fist on the table. “That I enter that bedroom and stake her while she’s asleep? Wasn’t it the same that they did to your lover back in Italy? How did that feel, huh? How do you think she felt, when you weren’t able to protect her?”

The words hit her straight in the heart. She hadn’t though about that event for a while, but it was definitely a scar she carried. She never had time to protect her, to tell how much she loved her, or even say goodbye. While she opened her mouth to say something the bell rang and Lysimachus returned, accompanied by the young witch that provided them the rings.

Kamilah left them alone in the office, joining Amy at the living room. The girl held her hand in a comforting manner.

“It’s not your fault,” she said. “He’d have done it sooner or later.”

“I know. Gaius isn’t the kind that quits and my brother isn’t either. Lysimachus always thought he could save the entire world and that’s what got him in prison.”

Suddenly Kamilah noticed the looks of Lysimachus and the witch were at their direction. She furrowed her brows as she detected the last few words of their conversation.

“ _...maybe her blood could help._ ”

Lysimachus approached, dragging Amy by the arm.

“Amy, I need a favor,” he pulled a dagger from his pocket. “I need you to feed Priya some blood.”

“No,” Kamilah protested. “You’re not dragging my fiancée into this! She’s not even herself anymore. She could lose control and kill Amy.”

“Come on, Kamilah. It’s her only chance! Being The First Vampire’s descendant, Amy’s blood has powerful properties. She could save Priya.”

Kamilah pulled Amy back to her direction by the other arm.

“Guys,” Amy tried to settle things between them. “Why don’t we sit down and discuss our options?”

“Discuss our options?!” Kamilah shouted. “You’re not risking your life for a mistake  _I_  did.”

“Excuse me?!” Lysimachus questioned. “It seems like you have something to share, sister.”

“It’s  _my_  fault. I accidentally told Gaius’ about you and Priya. He was furious when you prevented the explosion and used it to get a revenge on you.”

Her twin brother was completely mute for a second. Then he looked at her in a way she had never seen before... there was fire in his eyes.

“Y-You... betrayed me.”

“I had no intentions, brother. I’m so sorry, he wanted information about you and this was the less important thing I could think of.”

“ _Less important?_ ” Lysimachus let a sarcastic laugh. “Less important for who?! You know what? Do you know why we’re in this mess in first place? Because I gave up on the ritual. I gave up on the ritual because in order to kill Gaius we must kill Amy too. I protected your lover Kamilah, meanwhile you sacrificed mine for your selfish purposes!”

He punched the wall, opening a large hole on it before heading to the bedroom.

Kamilah sat down again, processing the words she had just heard.

\----------

**_Amy_ **

At the balcony, Amy breath in some fresh air, still undecided about what to do. She had no problem offering a small amount of blood to feed Priya, as Lysimachus wanted, but would that be enough? Kamilah also had a point, she was about to turn Feral. She could easily lose control and kill her.

And there was the ritual. To destroy Gaius, she’d have to sacrifice her own life.

“It seems like you’re carrying a lot on your shoulders,” the young witch appeared right beside her.

“Oh, trust me. Only a year ago I was only a small-town girl, who wanted to come to New York, get a decent job and enjoy life. Now, I'm engaged to one of the most powerful CEOs of the country, who's a Vampire and the fate of their race, and also the human race, depends on me."

"No evil doppelgänger yet?"

"To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if she just appeared at my door."

Amy laughed at their joke, breaking a little the tension of the moment. The witch girl was about her age, they could've been hanging out, going to a club or to a theater together, but they were both dealing with the supernatural.

"So what's your story?" Amy asked.

"As exciting as yours," the witch answered. "Grew up in an orphanage, got separated from my brother, messed with some dark forces to find him... Anyways, I decided to settle down at New York just doing the witch stuff, you know?"

Amy smiled again. Even with such a tragic past, that girl was able to keep a good humor.

"So, you know about the ritual. The one to destroy Gaius."

"Sorry, I tried my best to protect you when I discovered. This is what I promised my ancestors. But your friends are good at finding out stuff."

"Do I really have to..."

She nodded in response.

"Amy, do you want to hear an advice? Get debriefed, go away. Runaway from this world while you still can. If the information about your origins fall in the wrong hands, they'll start a war for your blood."

"I can't, I love Kamilah. More than I ever loved anyone in my life."

"But someday, you'll die. Kamilah won't. And she'll possibly find another A _my_  to love. Think about it."

Amy fell silent again, thinking about her words. She though about her family, her hometown, her old life and then... Kamilah. She was everything she ever wished for. The danger, the adventure, the passion she always looked for, she found in the female vampire.

"She's getting worse," Lysimachus scream echoed through the apartment. "Will you all just going to let her die?"

"I'll do it," Amy announced. "I'll feed her some of my blood."

"Have you lost all sense?" Kamilah followed her to the bedroom. "She's going to..."

When she opened the door, Priya was tied to the bed. Her eyes were blood-red and she was hissing loud. The only few words she was able to pronounce were senseless.

"She's losing her conscience," Kamilah told.

"Not if I can stop it," Lysimachus argued.

Amy grabbed his dagger, opening a gash on her palm and dripping some blood inside a glass. She handed it to Lysimachus who forced Priya to drink it. Surprisingly, the Fashion Designer eyes returned to their normal color and she calmed down.

"Hello friend with benefits," Lysimachus caressed her hair.

"Only... the... b... ben... benefits," Priya joked, making him smile.

"Feeling any better?"

She shook her head in denial, for his disappointment.

"S-Slipping... again... want... want to... kill... you."

Frustrated, the former Vampire Hunter punched the wall again.

"Just... do it."

Amy shared a look with Kamilah. Her fiancée had been completely closed down since learning about the ritual.

The young witch also watched the scene, with a puzzled look.

"She doesn't have a Brand, does she?" She asked.

"No," Lysimachus told. "She doesn't even know who's her Maker."

"The Brand is meant to keep the conscience tethered to the body. Maybe if we gave her one, infused by the blood of an older vampire..."

"I'll do it," Kamilah agreed. "It's my fault she's dying so..." she pulled her amulet and a lighter from her jacket.

"Noooo," Priya weakly whined. "Not... Kamilah's... tramp stamp..."

"Shut up! I'm trying to save your life."

"Wait," the female witch ordered. "I have a better idea. Seal the Brand with Amy's blood. Nothing is more powerful than The First Vampire's blood."

\----------

**_Kamilah_ **

Kamilah was browsing on her computer when Amy entered her dark office. After Branding Priya, she had gone home. The life of the Fashion Designer wasn't her priority right now, Amy's life was.

If Lysimachus was telling the truth about the ritual, she needed to act immediately. No one would sacrifice her wife-to-be, even for such a big purpose like destroying Gaius.

"How's Priya?" She asked, trying to show some sympathy.

"She has stopped losing her conscience, but the bite isn't healing. It has started to spread," Amy told. "I'm not sure if she's gonna make it. I wish I could do something more."

"Well, don't even say it in front of my brother. If he hears that, he may want to..." she stopped. "Nevermind."

Amy approached, sitting on her lap. She studied her computer screen, curious.

"Uhhh... Is that where you're planning to spend our honeymoon?"

"It's a house I own in Sweden. I've got it in a big deal I closed a few years ago. I was thinking it's a perfect place to start a new life, don't you think?"

"Do you mean... move to Sweden?"

"It's a small town. No one will ever find us. I have contacts, they'll give us new IDs and..."

"It's about the ritual, isn't it?"

Amy stared inside her eyes, Kamilah could see she was so lost and scared as she was.

"We're not doing it," she pressed her forehead on Amy's. "Never."

"But..." Amy placed a hand on the back of her neck, "it'd set you free."

"I'll never be free without you."

Kamilah pressed her lips on Amy's, kissing her slowly, while her fingers gently stoked the girl’s side.

"This is why we have to runaway. If the rest of The Council finds out... they'll come for you.

"I have another idea in mind."

Amy kissed her again, fiercely, firmly. With a force she hadn't felt ever before. She finished it by nibbling on her lower lip.

"Turn me," she whispered in Kamilah's ear. "Turn me right now. I'll become useless to the ritual and... I'll be yours forever."

"It's not that simple. Gaius would still come after you. And there's a lot you need to consider. What about your family? You won't be able to be so close to them anymore."

"I don't care..." Amy brushed her lips on hers again. "You're my family now."

"And you won't be able to have children."

"I can adopt."

"You..." Amy silenced her with her index finger.

"No more excuses, Kamilah. I give up on anything to spend the eternity with you."

"Eternity is a long time, are you aware of this?"

"Yeah..." Amy pretended to be pensive for a second. "But I think I can tolerate your temper and your cynicism for the eternity."

"In this case, I better work harder. Tolerating your insatiable hunger and your habit of losing stuff for the eternity may be expensive."

Amy laughed before pulling her for another kiss.

"I love when you try to be funny."

"Well, you started it."

The girls hand went under her shirt, feeling every inch of her stomach and chest. 

"I was so afraid I wouldn't see you again," she spoke smoothly as her hands went down to Kamilah's pants, unbuttoning them.

"I feared Gaius had killed or even hypnotized you for real," Amy's mouth went down to her jawline and neck, while her hands traveled inside Kamilah's underwear. "Seriously, I even..."

"Amy," Kamilah interrupted her, rolling her eyes. "Can you not say  _his_  name while...  _doing this_?"

"Of course," Amy apologized. "I'm sorry."

Kamilah closed her eyes, enjoying Amy's strokes on her most sensitive spot. She moved her hips, following the girl’s movements.

When she arched her back, finally reaching climax, she whispered in Amy's ear.

"This weekend... at the Hamptons' house. I'll prepare everything and... I'm Turning you."

\----------

**_Amy_ **

Lying on the bed with Kamilah, Amy grinned ear to ear. Being Turned and running away with her fiancée solved all their problems. Being biologically dead, she'd no longer be  _The One_. Her blood would lose all its power. And also... she'd never have to leave Kamilah.

"Tell me about that Bachelorette Party," Kamilah broke the silence. "I'm not very fond of this idea."

"Oh, no big deal. Lily took me to this Strip club, full of hot guys and girls. Even Jax gave us a private little show inside the limo."

As Kamilah widened her eyes in shock then furrowed her brows, as if she was ready to explode.

"I'm joking," Amy quickly announced. "Only a few drinks among friends in a cool supernatural bar."

"Which one?" Kamilah wanted to know. "I know every supernatural bar in New York and none of them is safe for you."

"It's a new one. Founded by one of the Shadow Den members."

Kamilah didn't answer, but by her face, she still didn't approve the idea.

“Right,” Amy changed the subject, “now, what about that meeting? You still haven’t told me everything. There's something else in your mind."

Kamilah let out a deep sigh, that suggested something else was disturbing her.

"Hearing his revenge plans, the things he's planning for The Council members... makes me wonder what he's planning for me."

"Didn't you earn his trust again?"

"I know him, Amy. He would never forgive me for what I did. He's saving the worst for me, and he must be planning to use you or my brother for that."

Amy was pensive for a moment, then she grabbed a notebook and a pen from the nightstand drawer.

"What are you doing? Kamilah looked at her intrigued.

"Our own plan," Amy started explaining. "We have a head-start, you know what he's planning."

"A conflict between me and my brother was exactly what he needed. I’ve just made things easier for him, now I’m not in good terms with Lysimachus. God knows what stupidity he’ll be doing after Priya dies. "

"Okay..." Amy wrote Lysimachus name and pulled some arrows. "We need to ensue his protection."

Kamilah smiled and took off the pen from her hands.

"Let me take care of it, would you? You stay put, while I handle the tough part."

Amy pulled her by the shirt collar for a kiss.

"But I had a good idea... We can get some explosives, blow up that club and send Gaius, Jameson and the whole gang to space."

"You've been watching too much news on TV, little firefly," Kamilah playfully bit her earlobe, then pressed soft kisses on her neck. "Don't worry, I've got everything planned."

Kamilah grabbed her notebook and started writing her own notes. She had the prettiest handwriting Amy had ever seen in her life. She read the first word: ' _Turning_ '. She smiled.

The female vampire proceeded with the next step of her planning sheet.

" _Training_ ," Amy read. "And then...  _Elope_?"

"And the last..." Kamilah added, " _Sweden_."

Amy took the notes and started to adding some details.

"Right, Ms. Sayeed, CEO of Ahmanet Financial. What will be doing to this  _little_  company of yours?"

"I'll sell it," Kamilah was decided. "I can start something new. Something related to botany, perhaps."

"Will we have pets in our new home?" Amy asked.

"Cats. Many of them."

"Uhhh... children?"

"It's too soon to decide it, don't you think?"

"Hell yeah," Amy tossed the notepad aside. "We have a lot to enjoy before that."

Kamilah smiled before involving her in a warm, passionate kiss. Meanwhile, all Amy could think was about how excited she was for the weekend, when she'd become a Vampire.

\----------

**_Lysimachus_ **

"It has stopped spreading," he announced, examining Priya's wound. "It seems like Amy's blood has truly worked."

Lying on his chest, the Fashion Designer gave him a weak smile. Though she was no longer losing conscience or that the wound had stopped spreading, she wasn't looking any better. She was severely weak and pale, her skin was cold as ice. Lysimachus wore his leather jacket around her body and covered her with a heavy blanket.

"Hunter, stop fooling yourself," she mumbled. "It's not working. I'm dying... I... I wonder what the tabloids will invent. They'll say I died from an overdose probably."

"I-I won't let them... I'll say you contracted a severe and deadly infection, and that you fought like a trooper until the end."

At this point, he was holding himself to not cry. He hadn't cried for centuries. Not even when Zoe died. Although she was his best and closest friend, he knew about that risk. She was a mortal Vampire Hunter. Her life was always in danger. And he didn't watch her die. He didn't have to say goodbye. One move and Adrian broke her neck, far from his sight. Because he was busy, chasing Priya.

"Hey," he called, trying to keep her awake. "Last year, in your club, why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"

"You're a bastard, like me, Hunter. I knew that at some point you could be useful."

"Fair enough."

"What about you?" Priya asked back. "That night in Amsterdam, why didn't you kill me?"

Lysimachus sighed.

"I knew that at some point you could be useful. And because I thought you were pretty."

"Oh, so you had mercy on pretty female Vampires?

"You were one of the rare exceptions."

She let out a small, weak laugh.

After a long moment of silence, Lysimachus felt her hand touching his under the covers.

"Hunter?" She called. "I'm afraid. Though it's something I'd never admit, but I am."

"Y-You don't have to be," he wanted to tell her that soon she'd be cured, but at this point, both of them knew it was useless to sugarcoat reality.

"What do you think that happens to Vampires after their death? Especially the baddies."

"I've never thought of this before."

"My people believe in reincarnation. This is what I'm afraid of, I don't wanna be born a  _dalit_ again."

"If you do," he kissed her forehead, "I'll find you and I'll rescue you."

"How are you going to find me, stupid?"

"Simple, I'll look for the girl who can make awesome clothes and  _snatch wigs_."

Seeing Priya genuinely smile again made a single tear fall down from his eyes. He noticed her eyes were teary too.

"We never finished that conversation."

"We don't have to."

"Okay... at least I figured out what was missing."

He held her even tighter, appreciating his final moments with her. Thinking about the life he was willing to show her. A life she never knew... A knock on the door brought him back to reality.

"Lysimachus," his witch friend shouted, "I know why she hasn't been fully cured yet! There's one more thing."

"What is it?"

"I was speaking to Jax and he told me that feeding from someone that the Vampire has an emotional connection may help delaying the transformation."

"Goodbye, cruel world," Priya mocked from the bed.

After the witch left, Lysimachus sat by her side.

"No one?" He sighed. "Not even... Sergio?"

"Sergio, Hunter?!" Priya rolled her eyes. "Are you joking or you're really this dumb?"

"I know," he ran a hand through his dark hair. "I'm only trying to think of a manner to save you. I meant it when I said I care about you."

Priya studied his face for a second, before inhaling deeply.

"If you ever tell this anyone, I'll kill you."

She sank her fangs into his neck, drawing a large amount of blood, for long minutes.

Lysimachus wasn't sure of how much of that was real, but his only choice was to wait and pray that Priya's body would fight off the infection by itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Kamilah takes Amy to the Hamptons to Turn her, but will things go as expected? Stay tuned!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.

**_Lysimachus_ **

After waking up from one his terrible nightmares, or better, flashbacks from his dark days in a Roman prison, he opened his eyes, expecting to find some comfort, relief... but the opposite side of his bed was empty. Lysimachus sighed heavily.

_Boom!_  A loud explosion noise came from his living room, followed by a hysterical laugh.

"Ha! How do you like that, huh?!"

Priya was standing in front of his TV, focused on a VR game he had never seen before. Without her awareness, he unplugged the console.

"WHAT?!"

"I told you to stay in bed. You need to rest."

"More?" She frowned. "I've been resting for days."

"Let me check it out."

Under her shirt, he examined the bite wound on her shoulder. It had mostly healed. For the last few days, he had been often feeding Priya his own blood and her body was doing the rest, fighting off the infection successfully.

“Almost there,” he announced.

“Thank you so much, Hunter. I mean, for this story you invented to the media about the deadly infection. It worked like magic. Look at all this gifts I’ve been receiving. I was even trying this game, that will likely never come out in the stores!”

“Really?!” Lysimachus grabbed the game cover. “Come on! I’ve been waiting for this for ages! How come did you...”

Priya winked and grinned in response. For a second their eyes locked, and as the moment started to become to awkward, he changed the subject.

“By the way, you were right. Lester was next on the list.”

“Did you go to that famous strip-club he often visits?”

“Yes,” Lysimachus told. “And as you suggested, there was already this woman, set up by Gaius, ready to cause him trouble. Later, she’d take him to Gaius to finish his life. But everything is solved now and Mr. Castellanos is safe and sound in Spain.”

“Hmpfff...” Priya grunted. “You should at least let them give that perv a lesson.”

“We can deal with that later... now...” he went to his evidence board. “The Baron next?”

Priya was pensive, intrigued. She looked at him, raising her eyebrows. Lysimachus, in this short time he had been in her presence, learned to not like that look.

“What’s up?” He questioned.

“Where’s Kamilah? And Amy, mostly? That chick has which every Vampire is looking for. Shouldn’t we be keeping her locked in a safe for now?”

He didn’t answer. He hadn’t spoke to Kamilah since that night at his apartment. He didn’t feel capable of fully forgiving her yet.

“Man, you can’t be pissed at you sis, the one you’ve spent your whole life seeking for revenge for... because of  _this_ ,” she pointed to her shoulder, as if the bite was nothing. “She was only playing her role. I’d have probably done worse.”

“You could’ve died.”

“And so did she. She did what she had to do, Hunter...” Priya punched him on the chest, before heading for his cabinet and grabbing an early drink. “Now about our plan, should I be proceeding with our...  _thing_  tonight?”

“No way,” Lysimachus shook his head. “You’re not completely healed yet and after what he did... I’m not risking your life again.”

“Too bad,” the Fashion Designer smirked. “I’ve already gave me Clan the orders. We are doing it.”

“You will not!”

“You’re not my man, Hunter. You can’t tell me what to do. Do you think that some creepy old ass can try to kill me and get nothing in return? You should know me better at this point, you know, before we move to the  _next level_.”

She closed the front door behind him, going for a meeting with her Clan. Lysimachus clenched his fists in rage, before falling on the couch wondering what she meant by ‘ _the next level_ ’.

\----------

**_Kamilah_ **

"You're not thinking straight," Adrian gave her a disapproving look. "Kamilah, there's a lot that could go wrong... what if... what if she Turns Feral? Do you remember my wife, Celia?"

Of course Kamilah did. She not only supported him during his mourning time, but she helped him to gain strength to open that coffin and stake her heart. She witnessed the beautiful Celia, who she had recently watched marry Adrian in the church, to become a pile of ashes, as her monstrous body vanished. It was a scene she’d never forget.

"Being The First Vampire's descendant? I doubt it,” if the closer to the First Vampire, less chances of becoming Feral, Amy probably had a big advantage. “It's my best option at the moment, Adrian. As mortal she's weak, fragile and barely capable of protecting herself. Also, they need her alive to make use of her blood."

"What about The Council?" Adrian ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm out of The Council, remember?"

"They could use it as an excuse to kill Amy and you, for unauthorized Turnings."

"Don't worry," Kamilah walked headed to the door. "I have you, Jax and Priya in my favor."

"A-are you counting on Priya's vote?"

"I can easily make her. After all, she owes me her life."

Some time later, she was already in her car, placing everything she'd need for the ritual. She was conflicted it was true, apart from the fear of Amy becoming Feral, she also didn't want Amy to experience most of the things she did, such as watching all her loved ones to die or becoming completely numb to the world around her, but sacrificing her wasn't an option either.

"Are we ready to go?" Amy was waiting inside the penthouse, grabbing some bags.

"You tell me. Are you ready for this, Amy? Is it what you want?"

"Yes, I've never been more sure of something in my life."

"Are you aware of the risks?" Kamilah sighed deeply, affected by Adrian’s words. "That it could go wrong and..."

"It's not happening," Amy didn't let her finish. "It worked for Lily, it'll work for me too."

"And that your feelings may change. Including for me."

"Lily haven't changed."

"You can make the decision based on somebody else's experience."

"Are you trying to change my mind or what?" Amy angered.

"No," Kamilah patiently answered. "I only want you to be sure. There's no turning back."

“One thing I’m sure, I don’t wanna die in some sick ritual.”

The next moments were tense and silent. She could tell Amy was nervous, though she was determined. It wouldn't be easy for herself either, planning the less painful manner to kill her fiancée, in order for her to be reborn as Vampire.

Suddenly, Amy jumped on top of her, kissing her feverishly. Her tongue finding a way between her lips, as her fingers tangled into her long straight hair.

"If my feelings ever change... all you have to do is remind me of this. Got it?"

"Whenever you wish."

Before going to the Hamptons, she took Amy to her office, in order to discuss the last details. First, she'd need to make sure to avoid problems with The Council.

"So you're spontaneously giving up on your mortality?" She recorded on video, in case she needed later.

"Yes," Amy answered. "In order to preserve my own life."

"Whose idea was that?"

"Mine"

"Good," Kamilah turned off the camera. "We got what we need. Now..." she stopped. "How do you want me to  _do it_?"

"Traditionally?" Amy furrowed her brows confused. "I mean, there's no other way to Turn someone, is it?"

Kamilah sighed, taking the question straight to the point.

"I mean... how do you want me to  _kill_  you?"

"Oh."

The question hit Amy a little hard, as she hadn't considered this part yet.

"No pain," she finally spoke. "How did  _he_  kill you? Drinking all your blood, wasn't it?"

Kamilah nodded in response.

"Did that hurt?"

"Not much. I only started to feel weaker, my vision went dark and..."

Speaking about it didn't make Kamilah feel so comfortable, even after all this time.

"That's how we're doing it then."

"Okay."

They both went silent again. Tension hanging in their air, until she decided to lighten the mood.

"So, what would you like to do in your last day as mortal?"

Amy finally smiled, biting her lower lip playfully.

"I have a few ideas in mind."

\----------

**_Amy_ **

That was one idea Amy had in mind for a while, but Kamilah being a Vampire and the CEO of such a large company, it wasn’t possible until the moment. She blindfolded her fiancée and took control of the car.

“I don’t like any of it,” Kamilah complained from the passenger seat.

“Which part?” Amy asked, loud, her voice was being muffled by the wind entering the windows. She wanted to feel it as human one last time. “Driving your car or taking you on a mysterious place?”

“Both.”

After she removed Kamilah’s blindfold, the female Vampire rolled her eyes, unable to believe the place in front of her.

“You didn’t brought me to an amusement park.”

“Of course I did. I mean, you’ve never went on a roller-coaster ride or had an ice cone. Everyone must experience these things.”

“Mortals, Amy. Not me.”

Before any more protesting, Amy took her hand and dragged her to inside the park.

“So, what would you like to try first, the  _Thunderbolt_ , the  _Cyclone_  or the  _Sling- Shot_?”

“I don’t understand any of the things you’ve just said.”

“Those are some of the wildest rides.”

“Whatever. You pick.”

For the rest of the morning, Amy took Kamilah to her favorite rides of the park. Though the Vampire didn’t express any excitement or fear, Amy could tell she was enjoying it. Then she took her for lunch, Kamilah stared at the food in complete disgust.

“Come on,” Amy took a bite of her corn dog, “try it. You’ll like it.”

“I’m not sure I can handle the scent of grease for another minute,” Kamilah covered her nose with her hand.

“Cheese fries then?”

Kamilah rolled her eyes, hesitantly taking one fry and putting it into her mouth.

“So?” Amy asked, expectantly.

“I feel it’s going to give me a stroke.”

“Dramatic much?”

“That’s okay, I can wash the taste away from my mouth with...” she took a sip of a can of soda. “ _this_.”

Amy laughed and observed as Kamilah discreetly took some fries off the plate, time from time, refusing to admit they were actually delicious.

“I’m afraid to ask but,” the female vampire spoke after they finished, “what’s next?”

“Dessert, of course!”

"What kind of it?”

“We have funnel cake, deep fried Oreos...” 

“Do your kind honestly needs to fry  _everything_?” Kamilah interrupted, whining.

“Or we can have ice cones,” Amy finished.

“I’d prefer this way.”

They sat down on a bench, tasting their ice cream. Amy wrapped an arm around Kamilah’s shoulder and kissed her cheek.

“Thanks for doing this with me. I know it’s not your favorite day ever but... it means a lot.”

Kamilah was still thoughtful and not very chatty, but the corners of her mouth curled up a little.

“I’ve had worse days before.”

“I can imagine...”

“Like when you and Lily took me to that nightclub. I’m positive that hell is somewhat close to that place.”

Amy bursted into a laugh, imagining Kamilah was about to say something dark and serious.

“Oh my god, Amy,” the vampire rolled her eyes again. “Look at you, there’s ice cream in the corners of your mouth. You’re always so  _classy_...”

Before Amy could take a napkin to clean it, Kamilah stopped her.

“I’ll handle it,” with her thumb she wiped the corners of her mouth and then sucked it gently, before pressing her lips on Amy’s.

As the evening approached, Kamilah wanted to know if she had any more requests before they go to the Hamptons’ house.

“A classic one for every couple. A kiss on the top of the Ferris Wheel.”

“We’re not really like every couple but... of course.”

\----------

_**Kamilah** _

It was early in the night when they arrived at the Hamptons' house. The mood between them was nervy again, but Kamilah wanted to keep it as normal as possible, letting Amy enjoy the last hours of her mortality in the living room while she prepared everything for the Turning ritual in one of the bedrooms.

"You've done it a thousand times," she repeated to herself. "It's just the same."

But it wasn't. Amy wasn't any mortal, she was the First Vampire's descendant, the results of her Turning experience were unknown. Adrian thought she could become a powerful being. With a pure blood, she could become so strong as Kamilah herself, or even Gaius.

" _Kamilah,_ " Amy yelled from the living room, " _I'm starving. Is there any food in this house?_ "

Kamilah rolled her eyes, wondering if as Vampire her hunger would also be enhanced.

"I forgot about it... why don't you order some pizza?"

While the girl celebrated, she felt her stomach twist. She never had such a large amount of junk food in one day.

Everything was prepared. After dinner she'd drive Amy to the bedroom, where she'd drink a goblet of her blood. Then, Kamilah would suck her blood completely, until her death, and place her inside a coffin, where she'd remain for the next six hours while she did the last arrangements.

She hadn't told Lysimachus about their plan. She had no idea of her brother's opinion about it. As he read Wright's complete research, he could know things about Amy's gift she didn't know, and prevent her from doing a mistake.

Against her will, Kamilah dialed his number. It was turned off. It was always turned off when he was too  _busy_  with Priya.

"Screw them," Kamilah angered. "I can make it on my own."

The door bell rang. She hear Amy going to answer. It should be her pizza. In at least an hour, they'd begin the Turning ritual.

Kamilah took a deep breath and walked to the living room, trying to appear confident.

"Amy," she shouted. "You left the door unlocked again. How many times do I have to tell you we're not in your cozy little town?"

She didn't answer. She probably had a mouthful of pizza in the kitchen.

"You didn't even wait..." For her surprise, Amy wasn't in the kitchen either. "Amy?!"

Kamilah looked outside, in the lounge, in the backyard and even on the beach. Amy was nowhere to be found. A chill went down her spine.

The bell rang again. She opened the door, expecting to find her fiancée but...

"Here's your pizza. Ms. Parker, right?"

"N-No... it was a prank. Sorry."

She quickly closed the door and grabbed her car keys and cell phone, attempting to reach her brother as she drove.

She only had one destination in mind. That one small beach town in Jersey.

\----------

_**Lysimachus** _

"Don't get over excited, please," Lysimachus begged to Priya through the audio plug.

" _Hunter, this is my kind of place! Look at this... How couldn't I have such a morbid idea before? Mortals vs. Vampires would boost my parties!_ "

Somewhere near the club, he pretended he was not listening.

" _Baby steps,_ " he thought. She wouldn't suddenly change all her views and behaviors. The fact she hadn't betrayed them or that she was able to stay away from parties and orgies for almost two months was a great achievement.

" _Whose idea do you think was that? It was certainly not Gaius'._ "

"Probably the bar owner's, after he was hypnotized."

" _Okay..._ " she took a breath, calming herself. " _What's the next step?_ "

"Finish watching the games, make your presence to be noticed and go to Anya, ask her to take you to her boss."

" _Noted._ "

Lysimachus still wasn't secure about this plan. Before Gaius' attack on Priya, the findings about the ritual and his fight with Kamilah, everything was certain. Now there was a lot that could go wrong. Lives were at risk.

"If he tries anything remember our safeword. I'll be down there in a blink of an eye."

Priya grunted on the other side of the device.

" _Stop with the overprotection. I can take care of myself._ "

"But..."

" _I mean it, Hunter. One more time and I'll turn off the plug._ "

"Okay."

" _Go take a walk, Hunter. The show is about to begin. Go get us some girl for later... Bye!_ "

Lysimachus ignored her words again and started driving around on his motorcycle. He momentarily turned off the device, refusing to hear Gaius' horror circus. It was too much for him.

He went to the town's library, to read some of its history. The place was highly known for its supernatural events and the presence of strange forces. Jameson should know that. No wonder he had picked that place to hide Gaius.

He turned on his cell phone, to keep himself informed of the events in New York. As The Baron refused to cooperate, he sent Jax to keep an eye on him. He and Priya had a hunch that he was Gaius' next target.

For his shock, he had about 20 missed calls, from his sister.

"Kamilah, what's wrong? I'm in Jersey and I just saw..."

" _Don't move!_ " She yelled from the other side of the line.  _"I'm going there. He... He took Amy._ "

"How? Does he even know she's back?"

" _I don't know. She mysteriously vanished from the Hamptons' house, while I was busy with... something else. Something that could save her_."

Lysimachus noticed his sister and discreetly crying.

“Okay, I-I... I’ll meet you on the road.”

"Fuck," he punched the table and headed back to his initial location, near the Midnight Lounge. "Priya? Can you hear me?"

" _Yeah, this thing is better than I've ever imagined! After we defeat Gaius I'm calling dibs on this bar._ "

"Stay alert, he kidnapped Amy. Find your way down there, quick!"

" _B-But and then? Am I supposed to save her?_ "

"Give your best show. I'll stay here listening."

\----------

**_Amy_ **

"Let me go, your son of a bitch," Amy screamed as Harvey threw her inside a dark room. "Traitor! Kamilah is going to kill you!"

"That's a really noisy one," the male Vampire complained as Jameson joined him. “I expect a raise after this service."

"Hello, Amy. It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Oh?! Aren't you a back-stabber son of a bitch? I always thought you were a weirdo, Jameson. It's a shame no one else could see it!"

"Can you please silence her?" Harvey begged. "If I have to hear her voice for another second, I..."

"The Master wants her perfectly intact for the  _proceedings_."

"Again?" Amy rolled her eyes, wondering if they were part of Keaseth's cult. Of course, bringing his Maker back would bring Gaius a lot of benefits.

She couldn't believe it was happening. How did they even find out she was back?

" _Of course,_ " she remembered Jameson had a lot of mind skills, telepathy should be one of them. He was the mysterious person at the bar. " _How could I be so stupid?_ "

Another figure entered the room, a female. She recognized her from Ahmanet Financial. That should be Anya.

"The King wants us in the main hall," she announced. "We've got something big to happen."

"But who's going to keep an eye on this  _thing_?" Harvey asked.

"Just leave her. It's only a mortal, it’s not like she's going anywhere."

"Good point."

The three vampires closed the door, leaving her alone inside the dark room. With both of her hands and feet tied, she needed to find a way to free herself.

First, she moved her hands repeatedly, loosening the rope around her wrists. Then, she crawled on the floor where pieces from a shattered glass bottle were lying.

"I just have to..." Amy placed herself near the glass, grabbing the sharpest piece she could find and trying to rub it on the ropes repeatedly. "Come on... cut it... cut it..."

She insisted, until she was finally free. After untying her ankles, she carefully approached the door, opening it only a little bit. Gaius was having an important meeting with...

" _Priya?!_ "

Amy watched as the Fashion Designer entered the main hall, escorted by four members of her Clan, clapping.

"Congratulations, Old Ass. Not even my twisted mind could have planned such a sick attraction. I'm impressed."

"What are you doing here?' Gaius snarled. "You were supposed to be..."

"Dead? And so were you."

"What do you want? Did you come here to defy me?"

"The opposite... I'm here to offer you a partnership. I've heard you need an army, don't you? I'm offering my Clan."

"In trade of?"

"Power. I'm done playing with losers! Do you know what Lysimachus is planning? An ambush, with his little magic tricks! As if they even worked, we're not in Hogwarts, jeez. We're Vampires. Bloodsucking creatures."

Gaius stared at her in silence for a brief moment before his eyes turned red in anger.

"I don't trust you. Remember you helped to trap me inside that sarcophagus?"

"What was I supposed to do? Adam offered me power, money... it was a win-win situation, babe."

"How do I know you're not part of the ambush? I'm aware of your liaisons with that...  _boy_."

Amy noticed he clenched his fist in extreme rage as he spoke about Lysimachus.

"Who told you that?" Priya let out a small laugh. "Kamilah? Because... you know Kamilah isn't hypnotized at all, don’t you? She comes here, lies to you, collect info and take to The Council."

"Traitor!" Amy spoke in low voice. "Kamilah was right all along!"

"So, what do you say?" Priya started walking around Gaius in circles, as he was conflicted with the latest news. "I could be your new Queen. I have way more to offer than she does..."

Suddenly, Anya looked at her direction, noticing she was peeking through the door.

"Hey!" She yelled, coming in her direction.

Amy slammed the door closed, thinking she only had one chance to escape. She remembered some lessons Lysimachus gave her, about hunting Vampires.

As Anya entered the room, Amy stabbed her right in the chest with the sharp glass. It wasn't enough to kill her yet, but she got what she needed, her blood. Before cutting off her head and watch her become a pile of ash, she drank some of it.

" _I think I'm going to puke,_ " she thought.

By this time, she was surrounded. By Harvey, Jameson, Priya and... Gaius. It was the first time she was seeing him in person. He looked even more intimidating and evil than in her visions.

" _Don't be afraid, Amy. It's not time for that..._ " she told herself.

"Your useless bastards!" Gaius angered. "I know I shouldn't have trusted you to capture her! I need her precious blood to make me stronger. After this, I'll gain all the powers Keaseth possessed!"

"Or not!" Amy yelled, pointing the glass to her own neck. "I've drank a lot of Anya's blood before killing her, you know? If I kill myself, it's over, isn't it? As a Vampire my blood becomes useless!"

Priya eyes went wide and she shook her head, as if she was telling her to not do that.

"One more step and I..."

From the back, Priya impaled one of Lysimachus poisoned stakes in Gaius' heart, giving her Clan members time enough to fight Harvey and Jameson.

In a flash, she grabbed Amy by the hand and took her outside the bar.

“Girl, you’re crazy as shit,” she said. “H-How could you...”

“You...” Amy answered between pants, “betrayed... us...”

“It was part of the plan! If you and Kamilah hadn’t been so stubborn about it, you’d know. Now you've ruined everything!”

“Oh. What about the part where you ratted Kamilah? Was it part of your plan with Lysimachus too?"

“Please,” Priya rolled her eyes, “he’d know eventually. I had to find a way to get into him."

Coming from the same direction, they spotted Lysimachus’ motorcycle and Kamilah’s car. Amy signaled them to stop and she entered the car, along Priya.

“Drive away, quick,” the Fashion Designer ordered. “I staked him.”

“ _You did what?!_ ” Lysimachus yelled from the audio plug.

“Shit hit the fan, of course. Amy pulled a crazy move, threatening to kill herself and become a Vampire, I took the opportunity and...  _bang_! I told you it wasn't the best moment to have a twin squabble with your sister."

“But to become a Vampire,” Kamilah was curious, “she’d have to drink one’s blood.”

Amy looked at her with puppy dog eyes. She knew Kamilah wouldn’t be happy with the news.

“Please, don’t be mad at me. I killed Anya, it was my life or hers... so...”

“Okay.” Kamilah sighed deeply. "I supposed I can find somebody else for my Marketing Department."

“ _That was brave of you, Amy! Did you pull the moves I taught you?_ ” Lysimachus wanted to know.

“Hell yeah! First I stabbed her then I went straight to the neck.”

“I’m sorry to ruin the Vampire Hunter party, but where are we headed?" Kamilah interrupted. "We can’t go back to New York, Gaius will come straight at us.”

“I agree, sister. But I still need to get my weapons, we’re gonna need them more than ever.”

“I have an idea,” Priya spoke from the passenger seat. “Let me drive, Kamilah.”

\----------

**_Kamilah_ **

"What is this place?" Kamilah asked. "Is it yours?"

Priya drove them to a small, secluded mansion in the surroundings of New York. It seemed a good place to hide, but she still didn't trust the Fashion Designer.

"No, it was Adam's," she answered. "Sometimes he'd bring me here and we..."

"I don't need to hear that."

“I’m gonna get a drink” Priya announced. “Are you joining?”

“In a moment.”

Amy was quiet and worried, looking through the window. Kamilah embraced her from behind, offering some comfort.

"Are you alright, Amy?"

"I'll be. I'm still kinda in shock, you know? Being kidnapped, having to kill your Clan member and... seeing  _him_  in person. He's even more scary and powerful than I thought."

"And yet," Kamilah placed a soft kiss on her neck, "you fought braver than most of the Vampires that had to face him."

“I learned from the best,” Amy turned around and smiled. "What about you? How are you coping?"

"I'll only feel completely relieved when my brother is here."

A few minutes later, a car parked in front of the mansion leaving Lysimachus and a metal crate, full of combat weapons. When he entered the house, his expression was from pure fear.

"Brother, is everything okay? No one followed you, right?"

"No, I dropped my bike at a parking lot and hired a car service. But... I have terrible news."

She, Amy and Priya watched him expectantly.

"He's striking hard, guys. He has killed The Baron and taken his Clan."

"It's not such a big loss," Priya commented. "At least we don't have to worry about that pig betraying us anymore. Besides, you wiped most of his Clan members last year, remember?"

"It's not the worst part, he has also attacked the Shadow Den. Dozens of Vampires were killed."

"Oh no," Amy got alarmed. "Lily! Please, tell me she's fine."

"She, Jax and part of their group were able to escape and hide in a warehouse."

"What about Adrian?" Kamilah wanted to know. "Have you warned him?"

"Sure, he safely locked inside Raines Corporation. He offered his aid on the battle, in case we need him."

Lysimachus stopped and took a deep breath.

"It's a matter of time until he starts a mass-killing on mortals. We need to act quick."

"So, what's the plan now?" Priya asked.

"I have none yet..."

"But I do," Amy stood up from the couch. "We're doing the ritual."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: When Amy is willing to sacrifice herself to defeat Gaius, the gang will count on an unexpected ally... and on luck! Stay tuned!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated. And I hope you still enjoy it now Bloodbound is truly returning, it’s near the end and I promise it’ll be worthy.  
> \- My apologies for the delay. My wrist is pretty bad again :(  
> \- Smut Alert!

**_Kamilah_ **

Driving alone on the rainy road, a lot of thoughts were running through Kamilah’s mind. Trust. Betrayal. Hope.

She needed to  _trust_  her allies. The people she was working with to take Gaius down for good. She trusted Lysimachus with her eyes closed. Her brother used to be her advisor back in Egypt, so he knew very well the best strategies they could be using to strike. She also trust his knowledge about magic. Yet, she didn’t trust Priya at all. During almost a century she hasn't given The Council a single proof she was trustworthy. Her brother assigned her for the most important part of the plan. One that she could not fail, or do anything wrong on purpose... the sacrifice.

And there was Amy. Although her fiancée wanted to assure her everything was going to be alright, she knew how badly that could possibly end. She knew that kiss back in Vega’s mansion, before she entered Priya’s car, could’ve been their last.

Being 2064 years old and stronger than all of them, she could simply find an alternative. Stopping them and going on a suicidal mission to kill Gaius on her own again.  _Betraying_  all of them sounded like a tempting idea, when she felt so betrayed herself. Not even for a second, any of them considered her feelings. How Amy’s sacrifice would crush her heart and destroy the last bit of humanity she still had.

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to reflect.

_Hope_  was her best and only choice. She looked for the last time at the picture on her cellphone screen, trying to be inspired by Amy’s usual confidence and optimism to believe everything would go as planned.

She parked her car at the Midnight Lounge and announced through the ear plug.

“I’m ready.”

\----------

**_Amy_ **

On the passenger seat of Priya’s car, Amy couldn’t help feeling tense. After all, she would die and supposedly return to life, hours later. She looked down at her watch. Under it, there was a black thread tied around her wrist. She shouldn't let any of the parts involved in the plan to know about it, especially the Fashion Designer.

That black thread was part of a spell. A spell that tied her life to Lysimachus’ witch friend, allowing her soul to later return to her healed body.

“ _We’ll use dark forces,_ ” she advised, “ _someday we’ll have to deal with consequences._ ” 

Kamilah quickly stated she didn’t care about the consequences. And Amy agreed, what consequences could be worse than Gaius anyways? That was her only chance of remaining alive and see her biggest dream coming true, their wedding.

Before leaving, Amy wanted to make sure everything was ready, just in case she didn’t return. She opened her laptop, watching the messages she recorded for her parents, Lily, Adrian and… Kamilah. There was something else she prepared for the female Vampire, in case she couldn’t be around anymore. Adrian helped her to record an audio file with the sound of her heartbeats. Kamilah always said it was her favorite sound in the world, the only thing capable of calming her when she was too stressed or anxious. 

“ _I hope she'll never have to listen to it..._ ” she watched the rain falling outside, through the window. That’d be a hard blow on Kamilah. She couldn't even imagine how she’d be able to cope if she really died.

“Girl,” Priya broke the silence, “you’re acting like you were going to attend your own funeral. Let’s cheer up the mood,” she turned on the radio and smiled.

“Do you believe we will all survive this?” Amy asked.

“I hope so, I’m too gorgeous to die. Besides, I’m also looking forward to this wedding of yours. Imagine the pictures in the magazines, the comments about the dresses  _I_  designed. I can even see what’s comes next, a brand-new line:  _Lacroix’s Weddings_.”

"You're gonna rock!" Amy let out a small laugh. "And who will you be attending the wedding with? A celebrity or...  _someone_  I know?”

“By myself. I don’t wanna the photographers to focus on some random date instead of my precious dresses.”

“Okay. Fair enough."

“It doesn’t mean there won’t be a wedding hook-up, of course. Any hot guests on your list?”

“A few, but there’s  _one_  in particular that I think you may be interested.”

“There’s nothing between me and Hunter."

“Who said I was talking about him?”

Amy giggled as Priya blushed a little, then frowned. Then she decided to follow what the witch suggested, earning her trust. Making sure that she’d remain loyal to their plan.

“He’s counting on you, you know?” She said. “He has trusted you the most important part, I mean, the one to make sure I die...”

“Hmmm only a small cut in your throat right? If I accidentally rip off your head...”

“You wouldn’t do it.”

“How can you be so sure? I mean, if I see Gaius ain’t dying with your half-death, I won’t think twice before preserving my own life.”

“First, Kamilah would kill you. Second, you don’t wanna let him down. I know it. You won't throw it away, the weeks living under his roof, the intense training, how he worked hard to save your life..."

“Girl, one thing you should know. My life will always come before pleasure.”

“It’s not only pleasure anymore.”

“And why do you think that?”

“You could’ve saved yourself last night. Instead, you saved me.”

Priya was silent for a moment before grinning.

“Well, someday Kamilah will eventually bore you, then... my door will be open for you.”

Amy laughed, knowing deep down she was right about Lysimachus, but Priya would never admit it.

As the Fashion Designer stopped the car, she announced through the ear plug.

“We’re in position.”

\----------

_**Lysimachus** _

_“Be honest with me, what are the chances?”_

_“I never performed such a risky ritual before, but… naturally? About fifty percent. My ancestors will grant the permission and determine if Amy should return to life or not.”_

His friend’s words echoed inside his mind. That spell had to work, otherwise Kamilah would never forgive him.

_“I promise you, sister,” he assured her. “We’ll bring her back home. Safe and sound.”_

Amy was the descendant of Keaseth after all. She was a powerful witch, before Turning herself into a Vampire. With her blood running inside Amy's veins, it made her a descendant of the witches too. The chances of them granting her permission to live were high.

As for himself... he was still unsure about his future. He held the most risky part of the plan, going on a physical battle with Gaius to trap him inside a magical seal. Seeking advice from an old friend, another supernatural Hunter, he learned it could go wrong. He could get himself trapped with Gaius inside the seal, that would eventually consume them both.

But he always accepted this fate. He was willing to die to take Gaius down, for everything he had done to him, his sister and the rest of his victims. He hated that man for taking away his opportunity of living a normal life beside his sister. His opportunity to grow old and die. He Turned him into a beast, something Lysimachus didn’t accept until a few months before.

He parked his motorcycle besides Priya’s car.

“Where’s Kamilah?” He asked.

“She has gone already.”

Lysimachus ran a hand through his hair nervously, because he was willing to say goodbye to his sister. Wish her good luck.

Then he looked at Priya...

“Listen...” he sighed. “I’m not very good at this, but just in case I get killed in the process... you’re an amazing woman, Priya. I hope you’ll always remember that.”

“I  _know_  that, Hunter,” she scowled. “Enough with the sappy talk,” she pulled him for a heated and passionate kiss, her tongue moving against his teasingly. “Do yourself a favor and don’t get killed, okay? There’s more when we get home.”

“S-Sure.”

He started walking inside the bar, fearing what was waiting for him...

\----------

_**Kamilah** _

_“I can’t do this, Amy. I can’t accept losing you, not after everything we’ve been through. I care about you… I… I love you.”_

_“I love you too,” Amy planted a soft kiss on her neck, “and this is why I wanna do this. Gaius will never leave us alone and you know that. If this spell works… we still can keep our plans of spending the eternity together.”_

Kamilah focused on Amy's words as she headed the basement Gaius was hiding in. The  _Mortals vs. Vampires_  show was crowded, which was good because no one would hear, no one would interrupt what they were about to do.

_Right after saying those words, her fiancée kissed her feverishly and lead her to the bed, where they made love for hours._

_Kamilah wanted to register that moment as much as possible. She didn't want to forget how her lips tasted like, or the softness of her skin. Kneeling in front of her, she pulled her closer to her body as much as she could, leading to the most intimate moment they ever had, like if their souls were intertwined, as well as their bodies. Finding a rhythm together, she took Amy to ecstasy repeatedly, over and over again, and allowed the girl to do her the same, until they both reached exhaustion and slept in each other's embrace._

_When they woke up it was almost time to go, so she prepared her fiancée a special meal. Pancakes, in which she did her best to draw her favorite emoji._

_"This is the one you send me the most," she said. "I remember when we started dating, it annoyed me how much usage you made of these."_

_"Then you got used to them."_

_"I still don't know the real meaning behind some of them, but Lily said she's making me a dictionary."_

_Amy's phone buzzed and her smile grew even wider when she read the text:_

__

_"Like you always sent me every morning too, before I was comfortable saying 'the words'."_

_The girl sighed, placing her forehead against hers._

_"Hey, stop, okay? When we get home, I'm going to send you so many of these that you'll want to smash my phone... and I may teach you what some of them mean like..." she typed a reply on her phone. "This one."_

_Kamilah furrowed her brows in confusion._

_"Does it mean you want me to take you out to eat tacos?"_

_"Uhhh you'll see."_

Before she opened the door, that would lead to the basement, she texted Amy one last time:

> _"It doesn't matter what happens, I'll always love you."_

Everything was dark and silent. She didn't hear signals of Harvey or Jameson.

"I'm here, brother," she whispered. "There's no one. I think they moved to another location after the last confront."

_"Keep searching."_

Kamilah agreed, inspecting every corner of the basement, every door... Nothing. She returned to the main hall, ready to rejoin the group in the parking lot, when a voice spoke from the darkness.

"Searching for me, My Queen?"

“Gaius...”

Discreetly, she reached for her daggers inside her pockets.

“How dare you, Kamilah? I’ve given you everything! A new life, a chance of being a Goddess, a chance of being  _My Queen_. What else could you have possibly wanted?”

“Freedom,” she answered. “Respect. Love.”

“My Queen...” his cold hands touched her face, “why would you think that what we had wasn’t love? What is love for you? Falling for a mortal, that is only amused by your power, your wealth, and that will eventually wither? She's weak, fragile, temporary. Us... we’re the same.”

“I was never, and I will never, be like you!” 

She spat on his face, what she had been wishing to do for centuries and then, she started to stab him. Multiple times. Thinking and re-thinking about every humiliation, every pain, every tear she made her cry... how he separated her from her brother for centuries, how he killed her Italian lover, the things he forced her to do, how he manipulated and controlled every inch of her... In seconds, she was covered with his blood. Though he winced in pain, he remained standing and still, unaffected. A smirk appeared on his mouth.

“Still my Kamilah... that very same Kamilah I found in Egypt. So passionate, so strong, so brave...”

In one last move, her hand sank directly into his chest, attempting to remove his heart.

“I’m sorry, My Queen. You will not have my heart this time.”

As Gaius jerked his hand, Kamilah’s body slammed against the wooden wall. Her wrists and ankles strapped by invisible locks. The Ancient Vampire walked in her direction again.

“Does it bring you any memories, My Queen?” She felt his breath on her neck. “Our happy times together. You used to like  _this_ , remember?”

His hands started caressing her body, making her feel deeply disgusted. Kamilah closed her eyes, wishing it'd end soon.

“Maybe if I help you to remember, you’ll be the good woman you used to be.”

When he was about to rip off her shirt, a dagger came flying through the air, slicing off his hand.

“Maybe I should refresh your memory, Gaius,” Lysimachus said, clenching his jaw.

\----------

_**Lysimachus** _

_He was contemplating the pouring rain outside through a window, carefully thinking about every step of his plan. There couldn't be any failure, any vulnerability. He needed to do whatever it took to preserve Amy, Kamilah and Priya's lives._

_The coldness of a sharp metal blade against his throat pulled Lysimachus back to reality._

_"Dead," Priya mocked. "Still getting distracted too easily, Hunter."_

_"Priya, I thought you were getting some rest before we..."_

_"I couldn't sleep. Thought maybe you wanted to train one last time before kicking that old ass, but there you are, looking broody, sitting on my dead ex’s armchair... it doesn't suit you."_

_"Sorry, I'm not as confident and cocky as usual. I just have a bad feeling about tonight."_

_After serving herself a drink, she joined him near the window, telling about the last time they confronted Gaius’ and how great she did, compared to the rest. Especially, Adrian, who was about to get killed when Kamilah gave him the final blow. His mind was far, far away, traveling through his witch friend’s words about the entire ritual._

_It was risky spell, to be performed only by an experient witch, but he had to try. It was the only alternative he could think of at the moment.  
_

_“You know it cannot be effective and Gaius liv_ _e,” she told, “while Amy really dies.”_

_“He just couldn’t believe such a young vampire like me..." Priya continued her story. "You’re not paying attention.”  
_

_“My apologies. I was recapping the ritual in my mind again, nothing can go wrong, you know? I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to any of you, especially Amy.”_

_“Were you always like this?” Priya asked. “This whole thing of wanting to save the entire world?”  
_

_“Most part of the time, yes. We could’ve escaped Egypt, instead I wanted to stay and fight for our people, for our country. Kamilah supported my decision and look where it lead us.”  
_

_“It’s stupid, in parts, but it’s what makes you different from most of men I’ve ever met. You don’t let go, you don’t back down... even when everything is falling apart around you, you manage to find a way to overcome the obstacle.”  
_

_“Is that a compliment coming from Priya Lacroix?” He teased.  
_

_“It’s the closest you’ll get from one.”_

Through the ear plug he heard his sister’s conversation with Gaius, how she was attempting to keep him distracted while he sneaked into the basement to create the magical seal. He needed to act quick and silent, not letting him notice his presence.

Lysimachus’ mouth turned into a grin as he watched his sister, stabbing the Ancient Vampire repeatedly, getting a revenge for all he had put her through.

“Still my Kamilah... that very same Kamilah I found in Egypt. So passionate, so strong, so brave...” 

Just as he finished the seal, Gaius had trapped Kamilah on the wooden wall by invisible strings. He approached her, his dirty hands traveling through all her body...

“Maybe if I help you to remember, you’ll be the good woman you used to be.” 

“ _Show time,_ ” Lysimachus thought.

His dagger flew through the air, slicing off Gaius' hand. The restraints that were keeping Kamilah attached to the wall disappeared instantly.

“Maybe I should refresh your memory, Gaius,” Lysimachus said, clenching his jaw.

“You,” Gaius turned around to face him. “You cannot imagine how many centuries I’ve waited for this moment,  _boy_. You... always ruining all my plans, refusing to accept my bloodline... you’re a shame to our kind! I should’ve exterminated you shortly after your rebirth.”

With his remaining hand, he created an invisible string that began to strangle Lysimachus.

“You’re not...” he struggled to say, “man enough... for a combat, are you?”

“And you,” Gaius finally made physical contact, by grabbing him by the throat, “are powerless compared to me, aren’t you?”

“What about two against one, huh?!” From behind, Kamilah jumped on his neck in an attempt to cut his head off. He let Lysimachus go, using his powers to throw her across the empty room again.

“I can see what’ve spoiled you, My Queen.  _His_  presence. He has made up your mind... I’m afraid now it’s too late. You’ve been contaminated. I’ll have to exterminate you too... but first...” with his recovered hand, he attacked Lysimachus again, making him lie on the floor, unable to move. Gaius' eyes were flashing in rage. “I’ll make him watch, as I make you  _My Queen_  again and then... I’ll kill you both.”

“Not so fast,” Kamilah threw a lighter in front of him. The fire activated the seal Lysimachus had previously created, without Gaius awareness. When he tried to lunge in her direction, he was unable to leave the small circle.

“I still can kill you both!” By the invisible strings, he threw Kamilah right next to Lysimachus.

His power began to create a pressure inside his head, as if his skull was about to explode at any minute. He was doing the same to his sister. They gave one last look at her and she nodded, giving him permission to follow with their plan.

“Priya...” Lysimachus spoke through the ear plug. “It’s up to you now.”

\----------

**_Amy_ **

_"I'll just put in inside my car and..."_

_In only a few minutes they'd be leaving. Amy took the moment to observe Kamilah. Though she was trying to show confidence, she was clearly nervous._

_"You've already placed it inside your car," Amy told, referring to a refrigerated box that was carrying multiple blood bags. After the ritual, she'd need a transfusion to live again. Being such an old vampire, her fiancée had contacts in the hospital, who provided all the material she requested._

_"I guess I did," Kamilah forced a smile._

_Amy looked down to her left hand, her engagement ring. In the weekend, they were supposed to be getting married. Now, the chances her family would be attending her funeral were higher, and the happiest day in Kamilah's life would become another disgraceful memory for her collection._

_"So, uhh tomorrow I'll need to check some details of the flower arrangements... for our wedding, I mean. And there's the SPA day I'm scheduling for us, because after this..."_

_Amy sighed heavily and involved her in the tightest of the hugs._

_"Kamilah, you're not good at being optimistic."_

_"I know, but... I have to be. I preserved myself for any attachments for over a century and then you came, changing everything. I'm not losing you, am I?"_

_"I can't promise you that but... I'm not losing you too, right? After all, you'll be fighting Gaius."_

_"You won't. That bastard won't be the one to kill me, that I can promise you."_

_“Hey, lovebirds,” Priya shouted. “We’re getting late.”  
_

_Before entering the Fashion Designer’s car, Amy gazed into Kamilah’s brown eyes one last time, deeply, as the first time they met. Then, she kissed her in the most desperate and intense manner she could find, wishing that moment would never end._

_“I lov...” Kamilah’s index finger silenced her.  
_

_“Save that for later and..." she rolled her eyes, "I’m being optimistic again. I'm learning from you, perhaps.”_

Waiting inside the Midnight Lounge, Amy heard Lysimachus muffled voice through the other side of the ear plug. She could tell he was suffering and struggling in pain. The thought Kamilah should be enduring the same made her stomach hurt.

_“Priya, it’s up to you now.”  
_

“Let’s go, mortal,” Priya grabbed her by the arm, then looked at her and smirked. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick.”

Amy felt her heart rate accelerating each step they took downstairs. Priya’s hand gripping tightly around her arm, making sure she wouldn’t try to escape. She thought about Lysimachus’ witch friend, who was probably so appreehensive as she was. Her words only a few nights before, telling her to leave the supernatural world behind and go away. Then she thought about her family, and how long she hadn’t been speaking to them, after they refused to accept her engagement with Kamilah. Last, she thought about her fiancée.

_“Amy, this is Kamilah Sayeed. CEO of Ahmanet Financial. Kamilah is a brilliant and fascinating woman, but warmth is not her forte.”_

Never in her life, she could’ve imagined someday that icy gazed woman could become her fiancée. How that threatening Vampire, that once told her she’d kill her if something happened to Adrian, would become the person she loved the most in the world. She always did everything to make her happy, she planned the most amazing proposal someone could ever receive and now...

_“Stop, Amy,”_  she told herself. “ _You’ll be hearing your mother’s homophobic complaints again sooner than you expect, before you say ‘I do’ to Kamilah in the altar._ ”

And suddenly they were there. At that dark basement from where she had escaped only a day earlier. Kamilah and Lysimachus were lying on the floor, squirming in pain as Gaius slowly killed them from inside the magical seal. She looked at him again, how he was powerful, intimidating...

“That’s it, kid,” was the last thing she heard. “Hope I’ll see ya soon, otherwise... bye.”

Before she could even blink, Priya’s sharp dagger sliced her throat. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel any pain. She only started to feel weaker, and weaker, as her own blood soaked her clothes. Her vision went blurry and she could no longer breath... when her body hit the floor, she still had time to see one last thing before everything went dark... Kamilah’s brown eyes.

* * *

 

**Additional Notes:**

\- In case I wasn’t clear about the position they were in the smut scene (I didn’t want to make it too explicit), [this](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/positions/g4090/mind-blowing-lesbian-sex-positions/?slide=16) is what I meant. *Don’t click if you’re under 18 or at a public place lol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Not everything will go as planned with the ritual... Stay tuned!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.  
> \- My apologies for the delay. I’m not having much time to work on my fics.

 

* * *

**_Kamilah_ **

Kamilah stood frozen, watching as Amy’s body fell limp on the ground. Her paralyzed eyes looking straight into hers, as her blood streamed across the room, in the direction of the magical seal Lysimachus created to trap Gaius.

In contact with her blood, the seal erupted in blue flames and he was no longer able to use his powers as Maker.

“Your stupid whore!” He shouted angrily at Priya. “You don’t even know what you’ve just done, do you?”

“Actually I do…” Priya smirked. “It’s the end of the line for you, Old Ass.”

“You could’ve used her blood! Even a dirty blood as _yours_  would become the purest. How does it feel, huh? To know you lost the opportunity of becoming the most powerful Vampire living in this planet? Let me guess,  _he_  hid that from you.”

Priya stared at him in silence, conflicted. Kamilah knew perfectly what Gaius was doing, he knew Priya’s weaknesses and was using them to manipulate her.

She didn’t care. Only one thing was in her mind, Amy. Her Amy. She was dead in front of her. She took a few steps and kneeled right beside her.

“Amy…” she squeezed the girl’s hand.

Her soft and warm skin was now pale and cold. There was no pulse or any signs that she still had a single bit of life in her body. The heartbeats Kamilah loved so much to hear no longer existed. Inside of Amy’s chest was only silence. A silence she was very familiar with.

At distance, Priya and Lysimachus argued. She accused him of lying and omitting information to force her to join the plan.

“Kamilah!” Lysimachus looked at her and yelled. “What are you doing? Kill him, now!”

But she couldn’t move. It was like time had stopped around her and all she could see was Amy’s corpse lying in front of her. She looked down to her hands, they were completely covered by her fiancée’s blood. Her head started hurting again, forcing her into memories that she fought hard to forget…

**—– Flashback —–**

_Venice, Italy -  1540_

_Kamilah stared at the small package she had just acquired. A silver ring, engraved with a rare diamond found in a tomb in Egypt recently. A small smile formed in the corners of her mouth._

_She entered a small door that lead to a wooden staircase. She followed her way to a small studio, the one she had been living in the last eight months with Elena Fontana, a young artist she was sponsoring, and also her lover._

_“Elena?” She called, not hearing a response. “I’m home ”_

_She looked around, spotting no signs the young woman was even there. She furrowed her brows confused. Being a newly Turned Vampire, Elena was insecure of leaving the house alone. Especially with the rumors of a skilled Hunter being around, mercilessly taking lives of all supernatural creatures that dared to cross his path._

_Kamilah started having a bad feeling about it. An intuition that something had happened to Elena in her absence. Sometimes her bloodlust would be out of control and she’d accidentally hurt the mortals she was feeding from, what could attract them negative attention. Kamilah placed the ring inside a drawer and locked it with a key._

_“It was too soon anyways,” she thought._

_“K-Kamilah,” a female voice came from the bedroom, “what are you doing home so early? I-I thought you weren’t supposed to be here until dawn.”_

_Elena suddenly emerged in the living room._

_“The meeting ended earlier than planned. Why do you look so nervous? What have you been up to while I was out?”_

_“My new Vampire senses, they did magic for my art! I finished a whole set of paintings in only a few hours! I’ve never been so inspired.”_

_She grabbed Kamilah’s hand and took her to the bedroom, where she examined her surroundings, observing five wonderful paintings._

_“Oh my god. This is…” she took one the paintings in her hands, to examine it closer, “amazing. You’re finally going to achieve the recognition you deserve.”_

_“All thanks to you, amore mio.”_

_Elena embraced her from behind, placing a soft kiss on her neck. Though the windows were covered by heavy curtains, Kamilah was bothered by the rain that started falling outside._

_“What’s wrong, Kamilah?” Elena asked._

_“Nothing, just… the rain outside, the grey clouds… it’s giving me a bad feeling.”_

_“But you were just excited! Kamilah, you should start a career as a dramatic poet, you’ve got talent.”_

_She ignored Elena’s attempts to lighten her mood._

_“Are you hungry?” She asked. “It has been almost two days since you last fed._

_"I’m afraid to lose control again,” Elena’s expression darkened._

_“You’ll never learn if you don’t practice enough. Like your paintings.”_

_She brushed off a strand of Elena’s hair that was falling over her face and caressed her exposed cheek._

_“It’s not, my art is a gift. This is a curse.”_

_“It depends on how you see it.”_

_“True, knowing I’ll spend the rest of my life with you, that’s a gift.”_

_Kamilah kissed her forehead and the two of them went out into the night. They only had a couple of hours before the sunrise._

_When they returned, Elena was upset. Once again she failed to tame her instincts. While Kamilah drank only a small amount of blood, she almost killed a man. They went straight to bed, where they fell asleep quickly. Elena didn’t want much physical contact at the moment, she wanted to be left alone, what Kamilah respected._

_She woke up hours later in a hurry. As she opened her eyes, she could barely see anything with a distorted vision and a foggy head. Her heart was also racing abnormally… She only had time to dodge an attack, a stake pointed to her chest._

_A male figure escaped through the open window before she could have any reaction. Kamilah quickly closed and covered it with the heavy curtains again. The sunlight affected Elena more than herself._

_“Elena?” She turned around, looking for the young artist. But all she could find, were her ashes, spread over her side of the bed._

_It couldn’t be. Elena. Her sweet Elena was dead._

**—– End Of Flashback —–**

Kamilah’s head was spinning, making her see Amy’s blood mixed with Elena’s ashes in her hands. A wave of darkness filled her soul and suddenly all the humanity she still had left was gone. Her instincts should be fully taking control of her body and turning her into a killer machine, but instead, she felt nothing, only pure emptiness.

“I failed to protect you… like I failed to protect her…”

“Kamilah!” Lysimachus was attempting to get her attention. For some reason, she couldn’t focus on his voice, everytime she did, memories of the day he was taken by the Romans started to erupt in her mind. She struggled against them.

“… failed to protect Lyimachus.”

The darkness inside was becoming unbearable. She grabbed one of her daggers, pointing it straight to her heart.

“What are you–?” He stopped. “Your psycho son of a bitch!” 

The sound of someone being tackled to the ground and being repeatedly punched, finally caught some of her attention. She turned around, noticing her brother attacked Jameson. All she had time to see was his heart being removed, as well as his body turning into ashes.

“Kamilah, he was using his hypnotic tricks to mess with your head,” Lysimachus yelled. “Wake up, sister. Resist it!”

She observed Amy’s body again, then the puddle of blood by her side. She started having a strange sensation. A image started to form inside it, calling her, sinking her into it…

**—– Flashback —–**

_Venice, Italy -  1540_

_Late night in a tavern, two men were chatting, in the most secluded table._

_“King Gaius Augustine, I have the honor to announce your enemies will no longer bother your majesty.”_

_“Wolf Of Venice, you really do justice to your name,” Gaius stroked his cheek. “Who would say you could become such a loyal servant?”_

_Gaius delivered him the payment._

_“But, My King, this is so much more than we arranged.”_

_“I know. There’s one last favor I need from you,” he handed him a piece of paper with an address._

_“T-This is Kamilah Sayeed and her lover’s address.”_

_“Yes, and your killing them both.”_

_“She’s rumored to be one of the oldest Vampires around, making her highly powerful and fast.”_

_Gaius smirked and pushed a small vial in his direction._

_“It won’t be a problem, once they drink this. It’s acts like a drug in our system, making us weak and stunned. Give it to a mortal of your trust, make sure to place it at the right place in the right time, when they go out hunting for a prey.”_

**—– End Of Flashback —–**

When Kamilah returned to reality her eyes were burning red in rage. She dropped her dagger and turned her attention to Gaius.

“You ordered my death too… and you poisoned us! This is why I failed to protect her!”

“If you’re not My Queen, you won’t be anyone else’s,” Gaius spoke.

She grabbed the ceremonial stake Lysimachus found at Wright’s office, carved with ancient inscriptions. As it made contact with Amy’s blood, a blue flame erupted from it’s sharp tip.

“I. Am. Not. Your. Queen!“ she angered and lunged in his direction. "Not anymore.”

———-

**_Lysimachus_ **

“You hid that from me, Hunter?” Priya questioned him. “You didn’t told me everything this mortal’s blood could do, so I wouldn’t have another choice but joining your plan!”

“Priya, I didn’t know it until recently and… would you even consider it? Take Amy’s life to obtain power, instead of killing him?”

“It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the weakest. You’re powerful, influent… The Council always underestimated me! They treat me like I’m still a filthy whore.”

“Stop! Can’t you see he’s playing games with your mind?”

“You’re exactly like–”

They both stopped, staring at the ground where Kamilah was kneeled near Amy’s body. Her eyes were wide and paralyzed in some sort of shock state.

“Kamilah!” Lysimachus yelled. “What are you doing? Kill him, now!” 

She wouldn’t listen. A single tear streamed down her cheek.

“I failed to protect you… like I failed to protect her…” she started mumbling.

“Kamilah!” 

“… failed to protect Lyimachus.” 

“What the…”

The more he tried to get her attention and take her out of that state, more she’d go deeper into it. In an act of desperation and trauma, she grabbed one of her daggers and pointed to her chest. Gaius started to laugh hysterically.

“My Queen, so much for nothing… for you to be come frail and vulnerable because of a mortal.”

“Kamilah, darling,” Priya shouted. “It’s not time for reminisce on our personal tragedies. Go there and kill him, before he escapes. The Kamilah I know wouldn’t do it. She’s brave, tough, short-tempered…”

“ _The Kamilah I know wouldn’t do it,_ ” Lysimachus thought. He knew that. He never expected this attitude coming from his twin sister. If she was strong enough to keep fighting by herself for five years after he was taken, how did she suddenly became so fragile? Then, he looked to a dark corner of the room, noticing they were not alone. Jameson was hiding behind a wooden column, doing some movements with his hands. He was using the hypnosis the was partially inside Kamilah’s brain to control her.

“What are you–?” He stopped. “Your psycho son of a bitch!” 

Without thinking twice, he tackled him to the ground and started punching them repeatedly. What finally caught some of Kamilah’s attention. Wasting no more time, he shoved his hand inside Jameson’s chest, extracting his heart.

“I’m sorry, master. I failed…” he said, before vanishing into ashes.

“Kamilah, he was using his hypnotic tricks to mess with your head,” Lysimachus yelled. “Wake up, sister. Resist it!” 

She looked to Amy’s blood again. Lysimachus approached, noticing Amy’s powers were showing her something… a vision from her past… something she never imagined. Kamilah returned to reality, in all her strength and power.

“You ordered my death too… and you poisoned us! This is why I failed to protect her!” Her eyes were blood-red in anger.

“If you’re not My Queen, you won’t be anyone else’s,” Gaius spoke.

“Show him who you are,“ Lysimachus smirked and threw something to his sister. The ceremonial stake he took from Wright’s office. The one that could kill Gaius or any other ancient vampires, if used correctly. When she dripped it in Amy’s blood, blue flames started burning in the tip.

“This is badass,” Priya grinned. “Do it, Kamilah. Take down his Old Ass for good!”

“I. Am. Not. Your. Queen!” Kamilah smirked and lunged into Gaius direction. She stopped, aware she couldn’t enter the seal. “Not anymore.”

Kamilah aimed at his heart, but before she could give the final blow, Gaius grabbed her wrist.

“You’re coming with me, My Queen.”

“Let me go,” she struggled, trying to free herself, her feet was just crossing the line between the circle and the outside. Though she was strong, Gaius was even stronger, she wouldn’t be able to escape his grip.

Lysimachus looked at Priya and winked.

“What?” She asked.

“Remember what I told you… before we enter here.”

In a flash, he threw himself at Gaius, restraining him by the arms.

“Kamilah, now. Stake him!”

His sister did as ordered. The stake teared through Gaius flesh, striking him exactly in the heart. The blue flames spread, consuming his entire body so intensely that it hurt their eyes.

“No,” he yelled. “Kamilah, you’ll r…”

When Lysimachus opened his eyes again, there was nothing but Gaius’ ashes inside the magical seal with him.

“It’s over,” he said. “We defeated him.”

“Brother,” Kamilah opened her eyes too. “But… you…”

“I couldn’t let him take you.”

The seal started to close, it was a matter of seconds before it consumed him too.

“How can I un-do it?” Kamilah asked. “There got to be a way!”

“You’ll need an element to counter the magical forces. It’s useless now, sister. We don’t have time…”

“I’m not losing you again.”

“That’s okay, sister,” he extended his hands, touching her for the last time. “I’m thankful for these months we had together.”

“Shit!” Priya shouted. “Think fast… an element to counter magical forces… something witches hate… of course!”

Lysimachus and Kamilah exchanged confused glances as she approached the circle and grabbed the dagger he gifted her, opening a gash on her palm. As her blood dripped on the seal, the flames settled and started fading…

“What do they hate more then Vampire’s blood? We’re cursed creatures. Undead beings…”

“There’s actually a functioning brain  inside her head,” Kamilah teased.

Noticing he was finally safe, Lysimachus went in their direction, hugging them both at the same time.

“You know that it could’ve gone seriously wrong and killed us all,” he told Priya.

“But it worked!”

“It seems like it.”

Kamilah went back to Amy’s side, taking her in her arms and healing the cut on her neck.

“How long is it going to take, after we do the blood transfusion?”

“Only a few hours,” Lysimachus tried to assure her, but inside he wasn’t completely secure. There were no guarantees the spell had actually worked.

———-

**_Amy_ **

“Is this how being dead feels like?” That was Amy’s first thought before she could actually open her eyes. She felt afraid of what was waiting for her on the other side.

Everything was dark. Distantly, all she could hear were voices. Kamilah, Lysimachus, Gaius… they were on battle. A battle that would decide the fate of both humans and Vampires. She got up and started running in their direction, but she couldn’t. It was like she was trapped on an endless world of darkness.

“Kamilah,” she called, hoping her fiancée would be able to hear, but as expected, there was no response.

After a while the voices silenced and she was completely alone. She sat down and started crying. That place gave her chills.

“There you are,” she looked up, noticing Lysimachus’ witch friend was standing in front of her.

“A-Are you dead too?” She asked, fearing the spell had gone wrong.

“Technically, no. But since we’re linked I felt you were in trouble and created a portal to find you. Get up, it’s time to return to your body.”

“How do I return?”

“Focus on yourself, on your body. You should get pulled back instantly.”

Amy closed her eyes, thinking about herself. Images of her body, lying on her bed at Kamilah’s penthouse, started to form inside her brain. She started being pulled when another force stopped her.

“I-I can’t…” she cried. “Something is not letting me!”

“Try again,” the witch told. “You’re too anxious.”

She tried, over and over again, only to fail repeatedly.

“I don’t wanna die…”

“Weird. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

Amy sighed, displeased at the fact she was alone again. She wondered if the witch would even be able to return for her rescue. She closed her eyes, attempting to come back one more time, when she felt someone approaching.

“Amy, I’ve been waiting for you,” a female voice echoed in the darkness.

“Huh?!” She looked around, not seeing anyone.

“You need me…” the voice spoke again, “and I need you.”

A stunningly beautiful figure appeared in front of her.

“W-Who are you?”

“You’re my fate, Amy. Now come, join me. Your soul will give me the power I need to live again.”

“Keaseth.”

“This is how some groups called me, but I’ve had other names in different eras, different places… you call me as you want, my sweet Amy.”

Her voice was intoxicating, poisoning… for an instant, Amy felt she was under a spell she couldn’t escape. She felt Keaseth’s soul calling for hers, drawing hers.

“No,” she resisted. “I can’t do this.”

“You did, Amy. At the time you agreed to sacrifice yourself for a purpose, you agreed to join me.”

“Never!”

Amy tried to run, but Keaseth appeared in front of her. It was like she was everywhere in the darkness, in every corned she attempted to run to.

“Help,” she screamed. “Somebody help me!”

“They can’t hear you, Amy. It’s only you and me now, we’ll become one.”

The darkness disappeared and Amy saw herself in the temple again, the same one where Mrs. Wright attempted to sacrifice her. Keaseth was waiting for her to open the sarcophagus and enter, so they could merge.

“Dammit! I don’t wanna do this,” Amy closed her eyes, but a force keep pushing her into that direction and nothing she did was able to stop it. The First Vampire had a supernatural force like no one she had even seen before.

When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in front of her sarcophagus. Her hand moving involuntarily to open it.

“No,” she tried to resist it, “it’s a nightmare. Only another nightmare…”

“Amy! Stop!” Lysimachus’ witch friend had returned. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t wanna do this, she’s forcing me,” Amy pointed to Keaseth, who was standing next to the sarcophagus, smiling.

“Oh my god! S-She’s real!”

“I don’t care, just make her stop. Please.”

“My children,” Keaseth shook her head, “your forces are nothing compared to mine. You could never defeat me.”

“But maybe,” the witch started casting a spell, “my ancestors can. The same who trapped you inside this place before!”

She opened a portal and a white light invaded the whole room. Amy couldn’t see anything, but she could hear thousands of voices. Voices of witches of all eras and generations, with one only mission, to banish Keaseth again.

“No,” she yelled. “Amy, you need to help me. Come merge with me, you were born for this!”

“I make my own destiny,“ Amy answered.

"There will be consequences. Be ready to face them.”

Whatever she had to face, Amy didn’t care. All she wished for was to live a normal life with Kamilah, where she would be able to work, travel the world and start a family someday.

“Permission granted,” a voice coming from the portal told her. “If that’s what you wish for, you shall now return to your body.”

Amy nodded with a small smile on her face, before closing her eyes and feel she was being pulled back to her body.

———-

_**Kamilah** _

Kamilah placed the earphones and played that file one more time. She closed her eyes, paying attention on the heartbeats. Heartbeats she could no longer find in Amy’s chest.

Eight hours had passed since they finished the ritual and she was showing no signals of coming back to life. Kamilah found a note, blinking on Amy’s cell phone screen, asking her to turn on her laptop.

When she did, her pain only got more intense. Amy made a video saying goodbye, telling her to promise she’d still be happy. How she was supposed to be happy without the one person that made her feel happiness?

“Hey, sister,” Lysimachus entered the room. “You should feed. It’s been a while…”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Of course you are, the last time you…”

“You said she was going to come back,” she interrupted. “You promised me!”

“It may take a while.”

“Who are you trying to fool? Amy’s dead. She isn’t showing any improvement!”

Her brother sighed and looked at the girl, who was lying on the bed.

“I’m gonna talk to my friend, she’ll explain me what’s going on.”

Kamilah stared at him in silence, before recomposing herself. It wasn’t his fault. In truth, she almost lost him too. If wasn’t for Priya, the one person she didn’t trust at all, the seal would’ve consumed him along with Gaius. He wrapped his arms around her in a protective manner.

“What happened during the battle?” He asked. “What that monster was forcing you to see?”

“Memories from my past,” Kamilah answered. “From when you were captured, from when the Wolf Of Venice killed my lover.”

“And then? What made you return to your senses?”

“Amy’s blood. It showed Gaius closing a deal with that Hunter. He wanted me dead too, and as he knew it was impossible to kill me naturally, he poisoned us, so we’d be asleep. I didn’t feed much from a man that night, as for Elena… she almost killed him. That’s why I woke up in time to save myself. I lament I couldn’t save her too, but…”

“But?” Her brother raised his eyebrows curious.

“If she had survived, I wouldn’t have met Amy. And after this vision, I feel better about it. I have the feeling she knows why I couldn’t save her and that she’s happy for me.”

“I’m sure she is,” Lysimachus kissed her forehead. “I’ll bring Amy back, no matter what, okay? I promised her she’d marry you and I promise you the same, sister. On Saturday, you’ll be the most beautiful bride this planet has ever seen.”

“Stop,” she rolled her eyes, punching him slightly in the arm. “You’re making me blush and I hate it.”

“Of course,” he dragged her to a mirror. “With a twin like me, everyone will know where you’ve got your good looks from.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back…” he started leaving the room, suddenly Kamilah remembered one small detail.

“You’re forgetting something important.”

“What is it?”

“I’m older. You’ve got the good looks from me, little brother.”

He didn’t answer, making Kamilah smile in satisfaction. Back when they were children, Lysimachus always hated to be reminded she was born first.

“Five minutes is not even a difference!” He yelled from the corridor, making her let out a small laugh before she returned to Amy’s side.

———-

_**Lysimachus** _

"Ouch!” Priya complained as they entered the car. “Ouch, ouch… it hurts!”

“What’s wrong?” Lysimachus asked.

“My skin, it’s burning! My Daylight Ring isn’t working.”

“But why? What have you done? Did you break any of the rules?”

“Of course not!”

He quickly closed the windows, preventing the sunlight from entering the car.

“That little witch better have a good explanation,” Priya grunted as they parked the car in front the small building.

Lysimachus knocked at his friend’s door, obtaining no answer. He felt a shiver going down his spine. If something happened to her, it meant Amy’s life was also threatened. Using his skills, he picked the lock and rushed inside.

She was nowhere to be found. He only wasn’t able to check one room. The one she used for magic. He couldn’t forcefully open that door, he’d be violating the witches’ rules.

Lysimachus called her name once again.

“Just a minute,” she finally answered. “We’re in trouble here.”

“We?"

He sat on the living room to wait. Priya complaining all the time about her ring. He sighed, trying to not lose his patience. How could she be so selfish in a moment like this? When Amy’s life was in danger.

"Do you think I messed it up?” She asked. “Amy, I mean. Kamilah is going to kill me.”

“Of course not, you did as I told you.”

“But then, why my ring isn’t working? It’s obvious, I killed an innocent mortal.”

“Oh my god,” what she said made sense, what scared him even more.

About half an hour later, the female witch appeared in the living room.

“Sorry, it took longer than planned…” she panted, “but we did it. Amy is back to her body.”

Lysimachus sighed in relief.

"This is why I came to you. It’s been almost nine hours and she hadn’t returned yet.”

“Keaseth was trapping her. She wanted Amy’s soul to come back to life.”

“Really?!” His eyes widened in surprise. Though he was 2064 years old, so far all he had ever listened about the First Vampire were myths and legends.

“Yes, we had a hard time to banish her.”

“Do you think she will cause us trouble in the future?”

“I’m not sure, she’s determined but, Amy’s a tough one, she’ll know how to protect herself.”

“Enough with the First Vampire bullshit,” Priya whined. “I want to know why my ring isn’t working!”

“It’s simple,” the witch answered. “You violated one of the rules.”

“I didn’t, I only killed Amy because of the ritual, and because you assured she’d live again.”

“Hmmm…” the young female paused for a second, as if she was waiting for a response from her ancestors. “Basically, you insulted the witches. You violated a sacred magical seal. With your Vampire blood, what makes it ten times worse.”

“I did it to because  _someone_  went on a suicidal mission to kill Gaius. I saved Hunter’s life, this should be taken in consideration!”

“You still can have it back,” the witch assured. “All you have to do is to beg for the witches’ forgiveness.”

Priya rolled her eyes before starting yelling “I’m sorry” at random places of the room. Lysimachus controlled himself to not laugh.

“On your knees, to show you regret what you’ve done.”

Priya angrily followed the witch’s suggestion.

“Explain your reasons.”

“I only did it to save H… I mean, Lysimachus.”

“Because?”

“Because I ca… we’re friends. And Kamilah shouldn’t lose her fiancée and brother in the same day, right?”

Lysimachus couldn’t hold it anymore, he burst into laughs.

“It’s only a temporary suspension,” his friend whispered. “I’m only testing if she can be trusted. And torturing her a little bit.”

———-

_**Amy** _

Amy coughed as the air returned to her lungs. She still felt dizzy, making it hard for her to finally open her eyes.

“What you did was absolutely stupid, Amy. You knew you were going to die! You didn’t even consider how I was going to feel about it!”

“Good morning to you too, Kamilah,” she mumbled.

When she was finally able to see the female vampire, she was sitting by her side on the bed, with a scowl on her face, fighting hard to hide a smile.

“I thought you were dead.”

“But I’m not,” Amy sat down to hug her and she retributed, with all the strenght of a 2064 years old Vampire.

“Ouch! You’re gonna kill me for real…”

“You’re never doing this again.”

“I hope not, it wasn’t a very pleasant experience.”

Kamilah buried her face on her chest to hear her heartbeats. Amy stroked her hair, noticing how desperate she looked, for thinking she had lost her. After a quiet moment together, she sighed, ready to know about the battle against Gaius and tell Kamilah what happened.

“How was the battle?” Amy asked, still caressing Kamilah’s soft hair. “Was it hard to defeat him?”

“Not really,” she told, face still buried on her chest. “But I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Did he try anything with you?”

She didn’t answer. Amy didn’t push her. She knew when Kamilah felt comfortable enough she’d eventually tell her.

“I almost couldn’t make it, you know?” Amy changed the subject. “S-She was trapping me there. She wanted to use me to come back to life.”

“Who, Amy?” Kamilah faced her again. “Who are you talking about?”

“The First Vampire.”

Amy told her everything that happened while she was out of her body.

“They were able to contain her for a while, but something tells me she won’t be giving up.”

“We won’t let it happen,” Kamilah enlaced her fingers with hers. “And if she finds a manner… we’ll fight together.”

Amy gave her a small smile, before drawing her for a kiss.

“So, Kamilah Sayeed, there’s no escape now. We’re getting married.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Are you?”

“Not at all. Actually, I’m looking forward for that SPA day you promised me.”

“Hmmm I was thinking, we should extended our stay. Would you like go, right now?”

After reuniting with Lysimachus, Priya, Lily and Adrian, Amy said goodbye again, before entering Kamilah’s car.

“I can’t believe it,” Lily had teary eyes, “next time I see you, it’ll will be on your wedding day.”

“Yes, Lil and I’m sure you’ll be the hell of a bridesmaid!”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Kamilah and Amy are getting married! Will they finally say ‘yes’? Stay Tuned!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- Hope you enjoy it this story as much as I enjoyed to write it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated. If you want a third part, to know more about the future of our gang, leave ‘yes’ in the comments.

**_Kamilah_ **

The last few days had been unusually peaceful. Never in her 2064 years of life, Kamilah had felt so in peace before. Gaius was finally gone, she had been declared innocent in the investigations against her company and the last Council meeting was the most civilized, since it was founded. Lysimachus was chosen to seat on The Baron’s chair. Though he wasn’t thrilled about being a Clan leader, he had a mission in mind: to travel across the country and then to the rest of the world, seeking for vampires that were forced to live hidden in the shadows, or under inhumane situations, and make them part of his clan.

And now, she was finishing getting dressed for the wedding. Her  _own_  wedding with Amy. She had never really considered that possibility before. Back in Egypt, she always had other goals in mind. As for her past lovers, it was always forbidden or  _‘too soon’_ , until they ended up dead or running away when they found out she was a Vampire. With Amy it was different, everything happened naturally. Though she completely rocked her world since her move to the penthouse, Kamilah felt completely comfortable in her presence. She brought everything that was missing in her life. With Amy, she felt complete.

Lysimachus entered the room, wearing a fancy black suit and that annoying modern haircut Kamilah hated. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was unable to.

“S-Sister… y-you look…” with difficult, Kamilah was able to distinguish some words, “mother would be so proud of you.”

“Can you please not do  _that_?” She noticed his eyes were getting teary. “And especially  _that?_ ”

“Okay,” Lysimachus recomposed himself, taking a deep breath. “I’m here to know if you’re ready, the ceremony is about to start."

She suddenly felt a weird sensation in her stomach. Something she hadn't felt since her mortal years.

"Y-Yes... of course," she sighed deeply. "How's everything going in the backyard?"

"Amy's mother was trying to boss on some of the employees, especially in the kitchen," Lysimachus told. "But everything's under control now. I assigned Matsuo for the security and he's drove her back to the guest area."

Kamilah rolled her eyes. Amy’s mother was determined to cause trouble until the last minute, hoping her daughter would change her mind and give up on the wedding.

“Sister, before we go,” Lysimachus grabbed something from his pocket, “I’d like to give you this as my wedding gift.”

It was a bracelet. Kamilah took it in her hands, recognizing it from somewhere in her past. It couldn’t be...

“I found it when I escaped Gaius and returned to Egypt to look for you. It was hidden somewhere in the house we used to live.”

The bracelet belonged to their mother. When she was a child, Kamilah would secretly take it all the time, to wear around her tiny thin arms. Her mother would patiently retrieve it and tell her she’d give her when she was an adult, on her wedding day.

She had no words to say. Instead, she involved her brother in the tightest of the hugs, before wearing the bracelet.

“Now it finally fits,” he smiled, wiping a single tear that streamed across her cheek.

Her twin brother offered her his arm and together they headed downstairs, to the backyard of the house, where everything was set. The decorations were exactly like Kamilah ordered, same as the flower arrangements and the lights. Lysimachus walked her down the aisle until the altar, where he stood right next to her.

Now, all she had to do was wait for Amy's arrival...

\----------

_**Amy** _

“Amy, stop crying,” Lily sobbed. “You’ll ruin your make-up.”

“I will, Lil. Once you stop too...” They hugged each other again, for the tenth time in that evening. In a mix of overwhelmed emotions and an empty bottle of champagne.

Priya rolled her eyes from a couch where she was sitting at, snapping pictures of Amy's dress.

"Come on, can you two stop with all this drunk sappiness? You'll ruin  _my_  dress!" She scowled. "I'm gonna break the internet tonight. Hashtag Lacroix Weddings!"

Another figure paced around the suite anxiously, Amy's mother.

"Honey, don't cry," she caressed her daughter's arms. "There's still time to give up, if you want. I can speak to the..."

"Mom! Who said I'm giving up? I'm nervous and happy and... oh my god, am I going to be a good wife for Kamilah? She's so damn perfect and I'm just...  _me_."

Priya appeared behind her, her sharp nails gripping on her shoulder.

"Or you could marry me instead," she looked to Amy's mother and grinned. "The marriage wouldn't last for too long, I can assure you."

The woman looked at the Fashion Designer in disgust.

Amy checked herself on the mirror again, reminiscing about her first days in New York. She could never imagine getting a job at Raines Corporation and that in her very first day, she'd meet the love of her life. At first, Kamilah Sayeed was a puzzle, surrounded by tall and tough walls. Slowly, she started putting them down, allowing Amy to be part of her loneliness, know her deepest secrets and awake feelings that had been dormant for centuries.

Amy had changed a lot herself. Though she was still the same impulsive girl from one year earlier, she felt more mature, more strong, more conscious... things she could only learn from Kamilah.

Ready to go, she followed Lily downstairs of the Hamptons house. Since she arrived, she hadn't seen much of the decorations yet, she had no time. Now, she was amazed. Kamilah wasn't lying when she said she'd give her the wedding of her dreams.

Lily and Priya followed to the altar, while her father conducted her through the aisle. Looking at the small crowd around her, she felt her heart racing inside her chest. Her hands began to shake cold.

Then, for the first time in hours, her eyes crossed with Kamilah's. She looked impressively gorgeous, waiting for her. The female Vampire opened the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. For a moment, Amy could swear she was controlling herself to not cry. When they finally met, Kamilah held her hands tightly and reassuring. In that moment she felt more safe than ever.

"You look perfect," she whispered in her ear.

"And so do you," Amy kissed her cheek.

\----------

**_Lysimachus_ **

Lysimachus smiled broadly, watching as his sister and Amy kissed after pronouncing their vows and signing the papers. They were now officially married.

"By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you wife and wife,” the judge announced. “You may now kiss the bride.” 

Kamilah went for a small and respectful kiss, not wanting to cause any more trouble with Amy’s family. Amy, on other hand, wrapped her arms around her neck, deepening it to a heated and passionate kiss. The crowd, except for her parents and closer relatives, cheered. Lysimachus exchanged a look with his sister and grinned. He had never seen her so happy in his entire life.

The party started, after Kamilah and Amy had their first dance by themselves, the guests of honor were invited to join. He observed the others first, Jax partnered with Lily, Adrian with Amy’s closest cousin and even Lester managed to arrange himself with Amy’s aunt. On the other side of the room, Priya was staring at him.

“May I have the honors?” He extended his hand.

“Took you long enough,” she complained. “I confess I was about to pursue Amy’s brother. He’s quite a snack.”

“For God’s sake, he’s still in college.”

“He could learn a thing or two from the best.”

He enjoyed the dance, though Priya was purposely doing moves to exhibit herself for the photographers.

“Broke the internet already?” He wanted to know.

“Yes!” She grinned. “I gained at least a thousand new followers so far. And my name is also trending!”

As the dancing ended, Amy and Kamilah stood in the middle of the room, when the girl made an announcement.

“Single ladies and gentleman, time to throw our bouquets. May the best win!”

Lysimachus took a step back, leaving space for most of the guests to join that wild contest. Priya joined him.

“What?” He teased. “Don’t you want to be the next one?”

“Not until I get old and irrational, as your sister became.”

Amy was the first one, her bouquet was about to land on Lily’s hand, when someone took the front, Lester. The male vampire smiled and celebrated, asking who was willing to become  _Mrs. Castellanos._ Amy’s youngest friends all exchanged disgusted looks.

Kamilah was next. She closed her eyes and threw her bouquet. Lysimachus watched as it started coming in their direction, right to Priya’s hand.

“No. Way. In. Hell,” she deflected it, sending it back to the crowd, to Adrian’s hand. “Oh, here goes Wife Number 3...” she sighed.

\----------

**_Lysimachus_ **

Some time later, he was standing alone with a drink in hands. With Gaius finally gone, what future held for himself? Marriage wasn’t even in his plans. While he enjoyed working for Raines Corporation, he desired more. He missed the action and adrenaline of the nights he spent hunting.

Hunting vampires was no longer an option. He was one of them now. He accepted this life and this condition. His mission now, was to save vampires who were living in inhumane conditions, because of evil beings like Gaius.

“Mr. Sayeed?” An employee came to him. “Somebody asked me to deliver you this letter.”

“Huh?” Lysimachus opened the letter confused. Someone that he heard about his skills as Vampire Hunter was requesting his help, in New Orleans. The letter was signed with a ‘ _-K’._ “Who is the sender?” He asked.

“She was right there.”

He looked to the pointed direction, observing a young woman with magenta hair, she was wearing a sparkly blue dress. As she noticed he was staring, she raised her glass and disappeared, before he could even reach her.

"What's wrong, Hunter?" Priya placed a hand on his shoulder. "It looks like you've seen a ghost."

"N-Nothing, just a job opportunity I was offered," he told.

"Forget that," she whispered in his ear. "Because I have a much better offer to make you."

"Oh really?" He raised one eyebrow.

Priya grabbed his hand, dragging him to one of the multiple bedrooms of the house. She pressed herself on his body, slamming him hard against the door. He cupped her face, pulling her for a feverish kiss. His tongue battling hers for dominance.

As her hands ran through his abdomen, ripping off each layer of clothing, her fangs nipped hard on his lower lip, drawing some blood. Her long nails dragged across his muscular chest, until reaching the waistband of his pants, where she unbuckled his belt, lowering herself on him.

Lysimachus closed his eyes, enjoying the movements of her mouth and swirls of her tongue. His breath fastened, indicating he was close from climax. Priya slowed down completely, when he opened his eyes, Lysimachus noticed something with the corner of his eye. Someone by the window.

"What the..." he pushed Priya away and lunged in the man's direction, noticing he was a paparazzi.

"P-Please..." he begged. "D-Don't hurt me... I'm only doing what I was paid for!"

Lysimachus took the camera from his hands, smashing it into a thousand pieces. Then, he looked at Priya.

"Did you do it, Priya?" He questioned. "Did you call the paparazzi to the party?"

"What's a wedding without a scandal?" She smirked. "Besides, Kamilah was stealing my spotlight. People were only commenting..."

"I can't honestly believe that. I thought you had changed! You were using me, after all I've done to you."

"Hunter, I appreciate it, really. You're hot and kinda turns me on but... let's be honest, my fame and popularity will always come first."

He slammed the door shut, leaving her alone. After getting a new shirt to wear, he grabbed an entire bottle of whiskey and sat down at the sand, staring the ocean.

"One more shot of bad decisions?" A female voice was coming to his direction. The same woman from earlier.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" He clenched his jaw.

"Ouchie, bloodsucker. Chill out," she took the bottle from his hand, taking a sip. "Name's Katherine. We have more in common than you think, I'm a Nighthunter."

Lysimachus had heard about Nighthunters before, but his target was always another. He focused on Vampires only, while they were hired to protect mortals and valuable artifacts from every kind of supernatural creatures and evil magic.

"We're having some trouble in New Orleans with a Bloodwraith. I've heard about your skills and your knowledge. What do you say?"

He was thoughtful for a brief moment, considering all the adventures and new experiences he could get. He gazed into Katherine's deep brown eyes.

"When are we leaving?" He asked.

"Tomorrow."

"Sign me in," he extended his hand. "Let's kill this thing."

Katherine smirked and shook his hand.

"So, how did you heard about my skills?"

"A girl I knew. One named Zoe."

In silence, they finished the bottle of whiskey. There was no better way to honor his best friend's memory than accepting this opportunity.

\----------

**_Kamilah_ **

A small smile appeared on Kamilah's face as she observed Amy dancing with her friends. As long as her wife was happy and safe, she was happy too. She couldn’t quite follow their moves or even enjoy most of the songs they were dancing to. She left it up to Amy to decide everything related to music. From their first dance song, to all the rest.

“Aren’t you coming to dance with me?” Her young wife approached, clearly under the effect of alcohol. 

“I can’t quite follow these moves,” Kamilah told, kissing her forehead.

“Just a second.”

Amy went to the DJ, asking for a romantic pop ballad. She returned and grabbed Kamilah’s hand, pulling her to the middle of the room.

Kamilah pulled her close, holding her by the waist, while Amy rested her head on her shoulder. The slowly swayed together to the rhythm of the song.

“Thank you so much, Kamilah,” Amy said. “For all of this, I mean. You gave me the wedding of my dreams.”

“It’s the least you deserve,” Kamilah finally felt comfortable calling someone that way again. “ _my love_.”

The party ended when the sun was about to rise and as Kamilah drove them back to their penthouse, Amy felt asleep on the passenger seat. She took her in her arms and carried her to their bed.

“Good night, little firefly,” she whispered in her ear.

After finally getting out of her dress, she took a warm and long shower and laid next to Amy, enjoying a invigorating sleep. She woke up hours later, with Amy nowhere to be found.

“Amy?” She got up, looking for her everywhere. She found her sitting down under the shower, sobbing.

“I ruined everything!” Kamilah looked at her puzzled. “It’s only our first day together and I’ve already ruined everything!”

“But... why? What have you done wrong?”

“I drank too much and I fell asleep... you know, it was our wedding night. We were supposed to... I had even bought this special underwear for you!”

Kamilah let out a chuckle.

“Amy, that’s alright. We have plenty of time to make it up for it. I was really tired too.”

“It won’t be the same.”

The girl left the shower, with a pained expression on her face. Kamilah went to the kitchen and prepared them some breakfast, and a tea that was supposed to help with Amy's hangover. After that, she decided to cheer up her wife's mood, suggesting they should open some presents.

"Mine first," she handed Amy a small package.

"Kamilah, you didn't have to!" She finally opened a smile. "You've already given me so much!"

She opened it, to find out a golden necklace with a small and delicate pendant of a little firefly.

"This is so... lovely!" She involved Kamilah in a tight embrace, before giving her a present.

Kamilah opened it, to find a rare book she had been looking for about the Ancient Egypt. One that had a few records about her family.

"A-Amy, where did you find it? I-It must have costed a lot!"

"When I was in London, I've made some friends in the library and they kinda helped me."

After thanking her with a quick and gentle kiss, they continued to enjoy themselves with the presents they received. Most of them were items for home, and since Kamilah had all of them, they decided to donate for families in need.

There was one box to be opened, one that looked quite exotic.

"Who's this from?" Amy asked. "Do you have any idea?"

As she finished opening the package, Kamilah reached for a small card, hanging on it.

_"Kamilah, enjoy it with your wife, while you practice the lessons you've learned at your Bachelorette party. XoXo, Priya"_

Memories of a night she desired to forget suddenly returned to her mind. The educational places Priya took her, where she had freaky lessons of how to use each one of those... objects. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Whoa," Amy exclaimed, staring at the content of the package. "I don't even know where I'm supposed to put some of these..."

"W-We don't have to figure out... right?" She quickly closed the box.

"But..."

"I'd rather keep things more... traditional."

"Only the fuzzy handcuffs and the foreplay dices," Amy made the puppy dog eyes Kamilah hated, because she was unable to resist them. "Please?"

She rolled her eyes and agreed.

\----------

**_Amy_ **

Amy spent the rest of her Sunday in bed. Besides still being tired, she felt sick from all the alcohol she consumed. Kamilah was being the most lovely and supportive wife, providing all the care she needed.

On Monday, when she woke up, Kamilah was waiting for her in the living room, accompanied by her lawyer.

"I need you to sign some papers," she told.

"What is it about?" Amy asked, confused.

"I'm giving you half of my assets on Ahmanet Financial."

"K-Kamilah, but..."

"You're my wife now, Amy," she wrapped an arm around her waist. "And I intend to give you only the best."

Indeed, the next thing Amy received was a new credit card, linked to Kamilah's bank account, with no limits. She also granted her the best health insurance plan available.

To make it up for the day they lost, the female vampire planned them a special dinner. When they arrived at the building's garage, Kamilah stopped in front of a car Amy wasn't familiar with.

"Whose car is that?" She asked. "Lysimachus'?"

Kamilah handed her a keychain.

"No, it's yours. I don't want my wife walking around the city, vulnerable and unprotected."

At the restaurant, Amy was still in silence. It was too much. She was thankful for all the gifts Kamilah gave her but, she didn't want to sound like she was taking advantage on her financial condition.

"Please, don't tell me you've bought the restaurant too?"

"No," Kamilah answered. "This isn't my favorite. There's one in..."

"Kamilah, I mean, I love you and I love being your wife but... it's too much! I don't want people to think I'm opportunistic, that I've only married you because of your money."

"Amy," Kamilah spoke, softly and calm. "You're my first and only wife. I'm going to spoil you, you want it or not."

"Okay," Amy sighed. "But we're done with surprises for today, right?"

"Maybe," the female vampire grinned mischievously.

A couple of hours later, she had both of her hands pinned above her head. Kamilah had her eyes red and fangs exposed.

"Did you thought, darling..." her fingernails dragged across Amy's chest, ripping off her shirt, "that you could've been loved by a vampire? That it'd end well for you?" Kamilah whispered in a seductive tone. "This isn't a teenage romance book, my dear. This is real life.

"P-Please don't hurt me! I'm only a small town girl, searching for a job... I-I can give you anything you want!"

"Anything?" Kamilah raised her eyebrows. Amy nodded. "Undress me," she demanded.

Amy did as told, slowly and teasingly removing each piece of clothing Kamilah was wearing, until she was fully naked.

"On your knees," she demanded next. Amy obeyed. "Now, please me."

Amy started by kissing her lips hungrily, finishing it with small nibbles on her lower lip. Then she moved to her jawline and her neck, giving some small bites along the way. She felt Kamilah's nails scratching her back, causing a mix of pleasure and a little pain.

"I'm the only one who bites here, understand?"

Amy followed her way to her stomach and tights, until she lowered herself completely on Kamilah. She moved her tongue in a provoking manner, to make her wish for more. Kamilah attempted to hold her head in place, but she had other tricks in mind... something she discreetly took from Priya's gift. As she slipped it inside Kamilah, the vampire let out a cry.

"I told you to please me, not..." she gasped, as Amy pressed a button in the remote control she had in hands. "Make it... stop..." Amy fastened it to the ultimate speed, leading Kamilah to the extreme of her pleasure. "Please!"

She finally stopped. Finishing the job herself, using both her tongue and fingers. Kamilah arched her back, collapsing in pleasure.

Seconds later, she was on top of Amy. Her red vampire eyes looking more intimidating than ever.

"You shouldn't have done that, mortal! You'll regret..."

"Then punish me!" Amy shouted.

Kamilah handcuffed her again and blindfolded her. Amy enjoyed the suspense of not knowing that she was about to do next. She was caught by surprise, when Kamilah bit her neck, drawing some blood. She didn't feel pain, only pleasure. As she fed, her nails digged on her stomach's skin, sending shivers all through her body. She felt Kamilah's leg pressed against her center. She rocked her hips a little, taking advantage of the position.

"Oh, are you enjoying this, mortal?" Kamilah asked.

"Y-Yes..."

"Then let's torture you a little bit..."

Kamilah moved her mouth to the most sensitive area of her body, sucking, kissing and devouring her, over and over again, but never letting her finish.

"P-Please... I'm begging you for mercy..."

"We have no mercy, my dear. We're heartless monsters."

"Then end this! Finish me!"

"As you wish!" Kamilah straddled her, making the contact between their bodies as close as possible. Amy wrapped her legs around her and she rocked her hips expertly, driving them both to bliss at the same time.

Later, Amy laid her head on her chest. Smiling ear to ear.

"We need to do this vampire/victim roleplay more often."

"Next time I'm going to chase you and give you five seconds to escape."

"Whoa... I'm trembling in fear. The big bad vampire wants all of me!"

"She definitely does," Kamilah rolled on top of her, nuzzling her neck and making her giggle. "Oh, there's one cliche we're missing."

"Oh, I remember now," Amy agreed, changing the tone of her voice to something more serious and dramatic. "You're impossibly fast, and strong. Your skin is perfectly smooth. Your eyes change color, and sometimes you speak like you're from a different time. You don't go out in the sunlight without this ring... How old are you, Kamilah Sayeed?"

"Thirty," Kamilah did an expressionless face.

"How long have you been thirty?"  
"A very long time."  
"I know what you are," Amy firmly spoke.  
"Say it. Out loud," Kamilah asked. "Say it!"  
"Vampire."  
"Are you afraid?"  
"No."

"Well..." Kamilah gazed deeply into her eyes. "You should!" She started tickling Amy all over again, making the girl laugh until she was breathless.

Amy held her tightly against her chest.

"I'm loving being your wife."

"It's only day two. We have a long road ahead of us."

"Kamilah?" Amy tangled her fingers on Kamilah's hair. "About this, there's one last gift I want from you."

"Whatever you wish, my love."

"Turn me."


End file.
